Path of the Huntsman
by Mafia Elf
Summary: The second book in the Night Raid Generation series! Ethan's an assassin working for Night Raid, his friend Darren is in it too. Pyrrha Nikos is in the same class as him and she seems to have fallen for him. Who knows what's going to happen!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 25

Ethan had his head on his desk as he eyed the clock. He was in 4th hour biology and it couldn't have been going slower. The teacher kept going on and on about cell structure, while majority of the students had either fallen asleep or lost focus. Ethan's friend Darren was sitting next to him in the class.

"You alright?" Darren asked him

"I'm just tired. My mission last night took longer than expected. Plus I had to write that stupid essay for english." Ethan sighed as he moved his hand through his medium length brown hair

That day Ethan was wearing a black jacket with a red undershirt, jeans, and his black and red vans. He usually wore that outfit, mainly because he would get home pretty late from missions to be too tired to change. His friend had on the same black jacket but with a blue undershirt, he was wearing black slacks, and dress shoes. Ethan looked across the class at a girl named Phyrra. She was wearing a leather jacket with a black shirt underneath, and brown jeans. She also had on a pair of heels. Darren caught him staring at her, while she twirled her red hair in her hands.

"You do realize she's applying to Beacon right?" He nudged his friend

"She also doesn't even know I exist." Ethan replied sitting up "I dropped off the face of the earth after freshman year."

"Hey, how's Blake doing? She's at Beacon right?" Darren asked him

"She's home for summer break. When we would start back up here she goes back to." Ethan replied

"Thank god it's our senior year and we're almost out of here." Darren told him

Ethan started paying attention to another group of kids at the table next to him. He heard them talking about Faunus in a negative way.

The Faunus are humans with animal parts. A prime example was his sister Blake Belladonna. She had cat ears, and since their family adopted her, he was always on the offensive when someone started to badmouth the Faunus. Even though she was older than him, she taught him to care for others.

"They should all be thrown in jail if you ask me." One of the kids said

"Why not we just move them all to a separate island?" Another kid said

"That's it." Ethan said standing up and walking over to them

Blake was at home washing dishes when the phone rang.

"Hello." Blake answered the phone

"Is this Miss Belladonna?" The caller asked

"Yes, is something wrong at the school?" She asked

"We need you to come get Ethan. He fought some kids in his biology class for making Faunus remarks. He thinks very highly of you." Blake heard

"I'll be there soon. Thank you for calling." Blake said hanging up the phone

She walked to the garage and grabbed the car keys, then hopped in her car and drove to get her brother.

Ethan sat outside the principal's office as Blake talked to the principal. She had stopped wearing the bow around her ears last year. He heard the door open and Blake walked out.

"You ready?" She asked

"Yeah." He sighed standing and following her out of the office

He got in her car and they drove back home.

Ethan went to his room and dropped his backpack off. He removed his jacket and saw the wires running across his body, he flicked his hands and Imperial Arms Cross Tail appeared on his hands.

"Grandpa Lubbock would be proud of the improvements you've made." Blake said from his doorway

He flicked his hands again and the metal fingertips attached themselves to the circular portion of the contraption. He had a spool located on his lower back, then wires ran up his back and arms to the circular divider that was on Lubbock's gloves. Attached to the top were pointed metal fingertips that the wires ran through when during use.

"If only he was still around to see them." Ethan sighed

Blake continued to look at him, he looked back and smiled.

"So what were the boy's saying that you beat them up?" She asked crossing her arms

"They said some negative comments and said you all belong in jail. So I beat them up, I would have used Cross Tail but I opted not to." He told her

"Thank you for acting, but next time do it when you're not in class or school." She said

"You know I can't do that. If I see someone in trouble or hear someone make remarks about the Faunus, I'm going to act then and there." He said walking over to her

She hugged her brother, then looked him in the eyes.

"You really are a good person." She said smiling at him

"Well, you trained me to be like that." He said smiling back at her

"I'll make lunch." She said leaving his room "Don't be late."

Ethan stood there before hearing his phone ring. He looked over and saw it was Darren, immediately answering his phone.

"Yo, what's up?" Ethan asked him

"I got some good news buddy." Darren said

"I swear if we have a test tomorrow I'm going to kill somebody." Ethan said

"No, we don't have a test. But Phyrra finally talked about you." He said "And don't you already have someone to kill?"

"Now is not really the time dude." Ethan told his friend "And no I don't have anyone to kill yet."

"Relax, her boyfriend won't kill you or anything. He wouldn't even be able to." Darren laughed

"I'll see you tomorrow." Ethan said hanging up the phone

He walked out and saw Blake in the kitchen. Sitting down at the table he saw a magazine on the table.

"Is this yours?" He asked her

"I got that for you actually. It contained some stuff on wires so I thought you would enjoy it." Blake told him

"Thanks Sis!" He said reading the magazine

He finished the article on strengthening wires, but realized that his wires were already stronger than the ones in the article. Blake placed a plate of food in front of him, he waited for her to sit down before starting to eat. After Blake sat down, they began eating and talking.

"So you going to apply to Beacon?" She asked

"I might." He told her "My grades aren't good enough to get in though. Does Ozpin still have that deal for me?"

"Yeah, he kept asking me about whether or not you'd take it." She told him "So will you?"

"I'm thinking about it. Do we have any missions as of late?" He asked his sister

"I just got one this morning. You'd never believe who the target is." Blake told him

"I'll hold off on it then. I'll wait until school is over. These assassination missions have been keeping me up." He sighed

Blake laughed as he said that. Ethan finished eating and put his plate in the dishwasher, Blake was done too so he took her plate and did the same.

"What are you going to do for the rest of the day?" She asked him

"I might go to the park, or hang with Darren." He told her

"That's good. I'm going to go take a nap. I'll see you in the morning." She said walking to her room

Ethan waited outside with his jacket on, and Cross Tail hidden underneath it. Darren approached him, his backpack still on. He approached Ethan, and the two walked to the park.

"You armed?" Ethan asked him

"Always am." Darren said showing him the pistols he kept in his sleeves "You planning on fighting?"

"You can never be over prepared." Ethan smiled

They arrived at the park and saw Phyrra with her boyfriend there. The boys he also beat up in biology were there too.

"What do you have in store for today?" Darren sighed

"We're just walking through. If anyone messes with us, release your weapon and take them out." Ethan told him

They began walking again, passing through the park. The two boys from biology approached him again. Ethan stopped and looked at them.

"You guys in for another ass kicking?" He sighed

"We were just wondering where your sister is." One of them said

"I wouldn't tell you that in a million years." Ethan replied as he continued walking

One of the guys put his hand on Ethan's shoulder.

"Bad move." Darren told him

Ethan grabbed the boy's arm and threw him over his shoulder. The other swung at him, but Ethan blocked it and punched him in the gut. The other guy was up and produced a knife, he swiped at Ethan. Ethan jumped back and flicked his hands, producing Cross Tail. He landed and stared at the two. The other boy also produced a weapon. Ethan laughed and stared at the two of them. They ran at him and Ethan saw a flaw in their strategy. He dodged the first attack and then the second. He rolled in between the two boys, wrapping their legs up in wire. He pulled and they fell down. He retracted his wire and stood up from his kneeled position. Darren clapped as he walked over to him.

"Kept it hidden huh?" He asked

"Tried my best." Ethan responded

The two were back up and re-armed. One of them ran at Ethan and went to stab his back, he spun around and kicked the knife out of his hand. Before jumping and kicking him in the head. The second boy came at him again, he spun and tripped him. The original boy was up and threw the knife at Ethan, he raised his hand and caught in between his fingers. His expression changed to shock as he looked at Ethan with the knife caught in between his fingers. He flipped the knife and caught it, the second boy was back up and looked at Ethan too.

"Just give up already." Ethan said throwing the knife back at their feet

The boy picked it up and looked at his friend, the nodded and ran at him again. Ethan stood there while they rushed him, he looked up and saw them close to him. He did a backflip and kicked them both in the chin, he then used his hands to spring him onto a light pole. He then pushed off and spun in mid air, kicking them both again in the head. The two boys fell onto the ground and remained there. Darren walked over and produced a mirror, he placed it in front of each boys nose.

"They're still breathing." Darren told his friend as he stood up

"I had to tone it back a lot." Ethan said fist bumping his friend

Both of them were too occupied with each other to notice that Pyrrha was looking at them. She walked over to them, leaving her boyfriend behind.

"That was some good fighting." She said

Ethan froze and slowly turned around to face her.

"Thanks Pyrrha." He smiled at her

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" She asked him

"My family mainly, Blake taught me a lot too." He said

"Blake's your sister right? Isn't she a Faunus?" She asked

"Yeah, she's my sister and also a Faunus." Ethan replied

"Well we should spar sometime, I would like to further see your techniques." She said leaving them

Ethan and Darren began their walk back home. The fight had taken longer than expected and the sun was starting to set. They reached Darren's house first, then Ethan began his walk back to his house.

He was walking when he saw someone come across his path and stand in his way. Ethan had his headphones in and looked up to see the person in his way. He paused his music and looked at him.

"What do you want Jake?" Ethan asked removing his hands from his pocket and crossing them

"I want to know what you and Pyrrha talked about." Jake said

Jake and Ethan were the same height, both 5' 7". Darren was an inch shorter than him and Pyrrha was also the same height as Ethan and Blake.

"She just said she wanted to spar sometime. Now can I go home?" Ethan asked him

Jake drew a gun and aimed it at him. Ethan flicked his hands and Cross Tail emerged on his hands. He threw some wires at Jake and they wrapped around his hand that was holding the gun.

"Back off, or your hand comes off." Ethan said slightly tugging on the wires

Jake dropped the gun and Ethan retracted the wires.

"Now get out my sight before I actually decide to kill you." Ethan threatened

Jake ran away and Ethan stood there, he flicked his hands and hid Cross Tail. He put his hands in his pocket and closed his eyes.

"I know you're there Pyrrha. You can come out." He said opening his eyes and seeing her in front of him

She was wearing her battle gear, he'd never seen her wear it before. She had her spear and shield out.

"Who are you Ethan?" She asked him

"I'm the same Ethan you've always known." He said "Oh wait, you didn't even know I still existed until today in biology."

She opened her mouth to speak then closed it shortly after.

"I'm sorry." She said

"What?" Ethan asked

"I said I'm sorry." She repeated

"Why are you sorry?" He genuinely asked

She put her shield and spear on her back, then looked at him.

"I wanted to talk to you sooner, but I never got the chance. Then it doesn't help that Jake barely lets me see my own friends." She told him

"Well I guess I'm here for you if you need me. So is Darren and Blake." He smiled at her

She smiled back and walked closer to him.

"I should get back home soon. Blake is probably wondering where I am and I'm exhausted." He said running off "Bye Pyrrha!"

"Bye Ethan." She sighed

He got home and saw Blake sitting at the kitchen table, a cup of tea in her hands. In front of her sat a manilla envelope. Ethan sat down and she slid the envelope over to him.

"This is the assignment I was talking about." She said sipping her tea

Ethan opened the envelope and looked at the target, he dropped the paperwork and looked at Blake.

"No way this is true." He said

"It is. They want him dead by the end of the school year. You only have a couple months left." Blake said

"I'll have him dead by tomorrow." Ethan said repackaging the envelope and sliding it back

He stood up and went to his bedroom. Blake walked past his room a few minutes later and saw him sleeping sound asleep. She went into her own room and fell asleep, shortly after laying down on her bed.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 26

Ethan arrived at school and walked to his first hour class, which was math. He put his headphones in and began his walk to class. He would walk to school everyday, mainly so he could get some fresh air to start off his mornings. Pyrrha passed him in the hall and smiled at him, he returned her smile and waved. He arrived at his first hour and sat in the back of the class, just like he did everyday. The bell rang and the teacher started talking. He felt one of the girls in his class give him a look. He looked over and saw a blonde girl staring at him, luckily she was sitting next to him.

"Can I help you?" He asked her as he removed his earbuds

"Yeah, do you like Pyrrha?" She asked

"She's dating Jake, why would I try to go after her if she has a boyfriend." He responded, but in his head he added " _Not for much longer though."_

"Then why did you smile at her this morning?" She kept asking questions

"Because she's my friend." He responded "Now please stop asking me questions."

She obliged and began to write down notes on the day's lesson. Ethan's mind kept drifting back to the name on the assassination order. Ethan was more than happy to take this one, after he saw the name on the sheet of paper.

The bell rang and he went to grab his English textbook from his locker. He saw Pyrrha standing by his locker.

"Morning Pyrrha!" He greeted her as he opened his locker

"Morning Ethan, how was first hour?" She asked turning to face him

"Boring as hell. Plus, your friend kept asking me questions." Ethan said pointing to the blonde girl in the group

"Sorry about that, she was curious to get to know you." Pyrrha laughed

Ethan pulled out his english textbook and put it in his backpack, replacing it with his math textbook. He closed his locker and locked it.

"I was wondering what you were doing this weekend?" Pyrrha asked "I was going to have a party and wanted to know if you, Darren and Blake were interested in coming."

"I'll check my schedule." He said walking to his second hour

He arrived at his english class and sat next to Darren in the back of the class. He pulled out his textbook and put it on his desk. Darren looked over at his friend and tapped his arm. Ethan looked over at him.

"What's up?" Darren asked "I heard you and Jake had a little talk yesterday."

"We did yeah, and you want to know what's up? Pyrrha invited us and Blake to her party this weekend." Ethan said fist bumping his friend

"Why'd you grab your textbook?" Darren asked him "We have the detective coming in today. I made sure my pistols were extra hidden."

"Shit! I forgot." He said putting it back in his backpack

Ethan noticed the folder Blake had given him containing his newest assignment. He pulled it out and put it on his lap. Darren saw this and knew the routine. Ethan moved his backpack to the other side of the desk, while Darren grabbed the little wire attached to it and pulled the file onto his lap. He opened it up and started looking at it, his eyes went wide and he looked over at Ethan.

"What the hell?" Darren asked

"I told Blake I'd take it already." Ethan said as Darren handed him the file back

"When do you plan on acting?" Darren asked him

"I'll come up with something soon." Ethan said "But the minute I get the chance I'm taking it. I don't care who's in the room."

The teacher walked in and she began class by introducing the detective that was going to be talking to their class about detective work. Every time he looked at Ethan, he tensed up. Darren even noticed this and would look at his friend every now and then.

"You ok bro?" Darren whispered

"I swear this detective knows who I am. The other me." Ethan said moving his hands to under his desk

Darren saw him flick his hands and activate Cross Tail. The detective continued with his presentation, his hand a bit closer to his gun now.

"Has anyone here ever had to do something they regretted?" The detective asked

The entire class minus Darren and Ethan raised their hands. The two assassins received some looks and the detective stepped closer to them.

"You two in the back." He said to them "You've never regretted anything?"

"Everything we've done has been justified." Darren said moving his arms to under his desk too

Ethan had Cross Tail ready, should the detective catch onto them. The detective walked back the front of the classroom and drew his pistol. He aimed at them, as Ethan stood up and wrapped his arm in wires. Darren threw his arms down and his pistols fell out and into his hands. He also stood up and aimed at the Detective.

"Who sent you here?" Ethan asked

"The organization that will see you all dead." The Detective said

"That brings three up to mind. Care to specify?" Darren said

The Detective smiled and pulled the trigger, Darren pulled his trigger as the bullet hit Ethan in the chest.

"Ethan!" He yelled retracting his pistols and grabbing his friend

The teacher and the rest of the class stared in shock.

"Someone call 911." Darren said "Now!"

A student opened their phone and dialed 911, requesting an ambulance. Darren laid Ethan on the ground and stood up.

"No one is to say anything about what just happened. He was an assassin hired to murder us. Ethan and I just both happened to be armed and managed to take him down." Darren said

A familiar redhead burst into the room and saw Ethan and Darren.

"Pyrrha?" Darren asked

She ran over and knelt next to Ethan.

"Is he okay?" She asked Darren

"The bullet appeared to have hit him square in the chest, avoiding any major arteries." He said kneeling next to her "Do you know who might have ordered this hit?"

"I don't know. You two are in some weird area that I don't know about." She said "I'm trying to branch out to you guys, but it appears to only end in bloodshed so far."

The ambulance showed up and took Ethan to the hospital. Luckily for them, the doctors who are operating on him are friends of their organization. The bell rang for second hour to end, Pyrrha walked to her locker and put her math textbook away. She noticed a note attached to wire hanging from the top of her locker. She took the note and put it in her purse, remembering to read it later. She closed her locker and saw Darren leaning up against the locker next to her.

"We need to talk after school, meet me at the hospital." He said before leaving

Pyrrha looked around to find him but couldn't find him. Jake was watching with his group of friends at the event that unfolded.

Luckily for Pyrrha, she was a teacher's aid for her 3rd hour. She sat in the back of the class doing her homework most of the time and today would be no different. Pyrrha started on her math homework when the teacher's phone rang. The teacher answered it and looked at Pyrrha.

"Pyrrha sweetie, you're going home." The teacher said putting the phone back

Pyrrha packed up her purse and left the class, she stopped by her locker to grab a jacket and saw Jake standing there.

"Hey!" He said to her

"Hi Jake." Pyrrha smile as she opened her locker

"What were you doing talking to Ethan and Darren today?" He asked "Those guys are beneath us you know."

She grabbed her jacket and closed her locker.

"I'm making more friends. I even invited them to the party on Saturday." She told him

"Alright, I was just curious." He said

"Now, if you'll excuse me I'm heading home for the day." She told him

Jake grabbed her arm and pushed her up against the locker.

"You aren't going anywhere." He laughed

"Jake, let me go." She told him sternly

"Make me." He said

A gun was put to the back of Jake's head, Darren staring at him.

"I believe she said to let go. Now, unless you want your brain to be scattered all over the locker and your girlfriend. I advise you think about your next move." Darren told him

Jake moved away and looked at the two of them, Darren's gun not leaving from Jake.

"You ok Pyrrha?" Darren asked flicking his arm and revealing his second pistol

"I'll be fine." She said walking behind him "Thank you."

"You're going to side with them Pyrrha?" Jake asked pulling out a compactable sword

"Pyrrha, leave here. I can handle him." Darren told her

"Are you sure?" She asked

"I'm positive. Head straight to Ethan's house and I'll meet you there when I'm done here." He told her

Pyrrha ran towards the office, but taking a separate path. She was always carrying her weapons on her but kept them hidden, just like Ethan and Darren.

Jake ran at Darren, he swung his sword and Darren dodged it. Darren jumped and landed on top of the lockers. He fired a round from his pistol and sent Jake flying into the locker. He got up and attacked Darren again. He blocked the attack with his pistol and jammed the other one into Jake's stomach. Pulling the trigger, Jake was once again sent flying back into the locker. Standing up again, Jake increased his attack speed and the number of attacks he was doing. He swung the sword down and Darren stepped to the side, then kicked Jake in the chest.

"Holy shit this is easy." Darren laughed "I was expecting a challenge."

Jake pushed himself back up and just stared at Darren.

"You're lucky to be alive. I had to hold myself back their a bit." Darren told him "I would love to kill you but Pyrrha would probably have my head."

Jake collapsed from the fight and Darren walked away.

Pyrrha was sitting at the table with a cup of tea in her hands. Blake doing the same next to her.

"So Pyrrha, I hear you want to apply to Beacon?" Blake asked her

"I do. I think it would help further my goal of becoming a huntress." She said

"What do you think of Ethan?" Blake teased

"He's cute and nice. Has a bit of a shady background, but yet again so do most guys." Pyrrha laughed

"I just have to ask this out of curiosity." Blake said "But when did you start noticing my brother?"

"We've been in the same class since Freshman year. I sat next to him in our Freshman English class. He would always start each day off with a joke to me. I remember him always working on something that his grandfather gave him. He said it was a family heirloom." Pyrrha said

Blake knew what she was talking about but was surprised to find out that he had been working on it at school.

"Then after that we kind of just stopped talking. I feel entirely bad because I thought I did something wrong and he didn't want to be my friend anymore. I always had feelings for him, but I don't know what to do now." Pyrrha finished

"The whole not talking is my fault." Blake told her

"What?" Pyrrha asked

"When we were younger our parents died. So our Uncle Ren took care of us and taught us some tricks we could use. After he died we picked up the family ancestory of assassins working for Night Raid." She said "Ethan started getting his own missions around the time you two stopped talking. He got so wrapped up in his work that he put everything aside and focused on making the bad people go away. Thankfully Darren and him met during a Night Raid picnic and the two kicked off a great friendship."

Pyrrha sipped her tea then looked at Blake. She was staring at her own cup of tea while she said all that. Pyrrha put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright, we've connected again and that's more than I can ask for." She smiled

Darren walked in through the door and removed his jacket, tossing it on the couch Pyrrha saw the contraption he had set up for his pistols. He saw down across from them and looked at Blake.

"He showed me the file." Darren told her

Blake looked at him with a quizzical look.

"What file?" She returned

"The next assassination order. He ordered a damn assassin to come after us. If Ethan doesn't act soon I will for god's sake." Darren told her

Pyrrha sat there just looking back and forth as the two exchanged words.

"How do you plan on killing him?" Blake said "Should Ethan fail."

"Oh Blake, oh my dear Blake." Darren laughed "That's why we're a team. We never fail, our success rate is 100%."

"So you two work together in Night Raid?" Pyrrha asked him

Darren stared at her with his mouth wide open then looked back at Blake.

"How much did you tell her?" He said putting his face in his hands and sighing

"I told her as much as she needs to know to trust us." Blake said sipping her tea

Darren removed his hands from his face and looked back at Pyrrha.

"Yeah, we're assassins and we work as a team. We keep each other sane. The other day at the park, he would have probably killed those guys if we weren't a team. And I had to restrain myself from killing Jake." Darren told her "By the way, I'd stay away from him if I were you for a bit. Or better yet, break up with him."

He got up and walked over to the couch in their family room. He picked up his jacket and put it on.

"I'm going to go check on Ethan." He said leaving the house

Pyrrha looked at Blake as she refilled her tea.

"What did he mean by that?" Pyrrha asked

"It's a long story. But I would advise staying away from him for a while. Or if you do hang out with him make sure Ethan or Darren is nearby." Blake told her

Pyrrha smiled and sipped her tea, wondering what was truly going on.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 27

Ethan sat up in his bed and winced in pain. Blake sat up from her chair and ran over.

"You alright?" She asked

"Yeah, it's going to take a lot more than a bullet to kill me." He laughed "But did I really have to miss two days of school?"

Darren stood in the doorway and smiled as his friend got out of bed and stretched.

"You ready for today?" Darren asked him

Ethan walked over to his dresser and pulled out a red tank top. He put it on and looked at his friend.

"What kind of party is this again?" Ethan asked him

"It's a casual party, but she said she has a pool." Darren told him

"If you wear that how are you going to conceal Cross Tail?" Blake asked him

Ethan grabbed his gloves and put them on, he attached the spool to his lower back and felt the wires connect to the gloves.

"I only need it to kill the target. I'll wear the jacket until I see him, after he's dead I'll hide it back in my jacket and take it off." He told her "You bringing your pistols Darren?"

"I packed them just in case but don't plan on using them. I'll provide recon while you assassinate the target." He said walking into the room

The party was in a couple hours and the team were still getting ready. Ethan packed a backpack and put his swimsuit in it. He also packed a towel and change of clothes for after. Darren was wearing a black shirt and his white swimsuit. He opened his backpack and stole a towel to put over his pistols. Blake had a coverup over her black bikini, she didn't need to bring her weapon with her because she wouldn't be in trouble. Plus she was very good at improvising with weapons.

"If we're all ready, then let's head on over." Ethan said putting his jacket on

The walk over to Pyrrha's house lasted all of 10 minutes for the team of assassins, they were early but called her ahead of time to tell her. Ethan opened the gate to her house and they all froze as they saw her house. She lived in a mansion, three floors and a garden in the front of her house. It had everything, a fountain, a maze, and even a giant tree. Pyrrha stood in her door and stared at them smiling. She waved and they walked over.

"Hey guys!" She greeted

"Hi Pyrrha. Sorry we're early. We had to settle a bet between Darren and I." Ethan told her

Pyrrha laughed and welcomed them into her house. Ethan saw that no one else was over except them, he removed his jacket and hung it up on a coat rack. He hung his backpack up in a closet that he would remember.

"Where's everyone else in your family?" He asked her

"They all went on vacation early, so I got the house to myself. You wouldn't believe how lonely it gets here." She laughed

"I could Imagine." Darren said

"Do you have a list of who all's coming?" Blake asked her

"I do yeah, let me go grab it." She said leaving to grab the list

Blake and Darren looked at Ethan, waiting for the grand plan.

"I wait till he's alone and I'll take him out. I can easily string wires from there and there to create a noose, then I guide over his neck and kill him." He told them

"Just don't run out of wires again." Darren teased

"That was one time! And I had my backup spool too." Ethan exclaimed

Pyrrha returned with the guest list and handed it to Ethan, as he read the list she noticed the wires running up and down his body.

"He'll be here. Time to make this another successful operation." Ethan said handing the list to Darren

"He'll have his gang with him though, so I can deal with them." Darren said handing the list back to Pyrrha

"Are you planning to assassinate someone at my party?" She asked

"Would you kill us if we said yes?" Ethan asked

She smacked him on the head with the list.

"You of all people should know how wrong this is." She told him

"I'm sorry, but I have a job to do. And I'll be damned if I'm not going to complete it." Ethan replied grabbing his jacket

"Where are you going?" Blake asked him

Ethan opened the door and walked out, ignoring what she said.

"What was that about?" Pyrrha asked them

"I have no idea this time." Blake said

Ethan was sitting on her roof, staring out over the town and her property. The guests slowly showed up, until the whole guest list was here. Ethan smiled and stood up, Darren next to him.

"What's the plan now?" He asked

"We wait, Blake will isolate his cronies from him. Then we strike." Ethan told him

"So you're going to stay up here then?" Darren asked him

"Maybe, I might hide in one of the rooms that has a good view of everything." He replied

"Stay on coms." Darren said handing him an earpiece

Ethan put it in and the mission began. Darren joined the rest of the party by jumping into the pool from the roof. Ethan climbed into one of the empty rooms on the 3rd floor. Opening the door he walked around until he found the room he was looking for. Opening the door, he saw a room with a balcony overlooking the party. He leaned up against the wall and watched.

"Pyrrha!" One of her friends said "This party is great!"

"Thanks guys!" Pyrrha smiled feeling eyes watching her "If you'll excuse me for a second, I have to grab something from my room."

Pyrrha left her friends and walked up to the third floor. She opened the door and saw Ethan leaning against the wall, watching out the window.

"Why are you up here?" He asked her "Enjoy your party."

"It's not fun if you're not there." She told him, walking into the room and closing the door

Ethan pushed himself off the wall and looked at her.

"I'm not the same Pyrrha." He told her

"You're the same Ethan I met Freshman year." She said

"Pyrrha, I'm an assassin. I kill people for a living, and right now all of us who are involved in it are prepared to face death if we need to." He said

Pyrrha walked closer to him.

"Then come have fun. You're life can't be all about work." She said

"It is though." He said "You have your friends and a boyfriend. I'm pretty sure I'm so far down on the list it's ok for my like to be all work."

Pyrrha was going to say something but her phone went off. She opened it and read the text message.

"What's wrong?" Ethan asked her

"Jake wants to see me." She said "Becky says he's waiting for me in one of the rooms on the second floor."

"Ethan." Darren said over the earpiece "Target has been spotted entering room 20. I've dealt with his goons. Blake is helping me with disposal. Get in there and kill that bastard."

"Copy that." Ethan said "We'll continue this conversation another time."

He left the room and Pyrrha followed him.

"Where are you going?" She asked him

"To do my job." He said coldly before entering the room he entered originally

Ethan climbed down and landed on the balcony of room 20, he flicked his hands and Cross Tail appeared.

The door opened and Pyrrha walked in, Jake was standing there waiting for her.

"What's up Jake?" She asked

"Hey baby." He said walking over and hugging her

"Still never answered my question." She told him

"I was thinking, you, me, alone in this room." He hinted

"Look Jake, you're a nice guy but I'm not doing that." She said pushing him off her

"Then I guess It'll have to be this way then." He said grabbing her arms and throwing her on the bed

Pyrrha closed her eyes, as Jake got on top of her.

"Oh Pyrrha, play nice or else something bad might happen." He said sadistically

Jake felt something wrap around his throat, as he was pulled from the bed and hanging over the ground below. Pyrrha sat up and saw Ethan standing there, holding Jake by his wires.

"The girl said no dumbass." Ethan said punching Jake with this other hand

"You're really going to kill me?" Jake asked "I came with others you know."

"You mean you're gang?" Ethan laughed "They're dead already dumbass."

He pulled tighter and Jake grabbed his throat.

"You've been a bad boy Jake. Smuggling drugs, rape, killing innocents, oh and let's not forget about that hit order on me and Darren." Ethan said coldly "Now would you do me a favor and die."

Ethan pulled on his wires and slit Jake's throat, the blood spilling over his wires. He smiled and retracted his wires, letting Jake fall to the ground below. Blake and Darren were waiting as they caught his body and carried it away.

Ethan's back was facing Pyrrha as he flicked his hands and retracted Cross Tail. Putting his hands in his pocket, he turned around to face her. The moon was shining through her window, which made Ethan have a bit of an aura around him.

"I'm sorry you had to see that." He told her

She got up and walked over to him. Ethan was expecting her to hit him, but instead she hugged him.

"Umm, Pyrrha?" He asked her

"Thank you." She said quietly

He hugged her back and saw Blake open the door, but quickly close it shortly after seeing them.

Pyrrha broke the hug and kissed Ethan on the cheek.

"You know, now that I'm single again you can ask me out." She told him blushing

"You can do better." He said walking past her "I know that whoever you date next will be the one for you Pyrrha, but right now that's not me."

He opened the door and walked out into the hall. Pyrrha sat on the bed as Blake walked in and sat next to her.

"What did I do wrong Blake?" Pyrrha asked her

"Nothing, Ethan somehow thinks that you can do better than him. Don't hold that against him, he'll snap out of it soon enough." Blake told her

Ethan and Darren were walking back to their houses, Blake was spending the night at Pyrrha's house.

"Dude!" Darren exclaimed after hearing Ethan tell him that "She likes you. Ask out out for god's sake."

"Nope, she can do better. Besides I know I'll be seeing a lot more of her." Ethan said as they approached Darren's house

"Well good luck man. I'll see you monday." Darren said leaving his friend

Ethan began walking back home when he reached for his backpack.

"Shit! I left it at her house." He said running to Pyrrha's house

Pyrrha walked downstairs and opened the door. Ethan stood there panting, she looked at him while he tried to speak.

"Can I grab my backpack, I forgot it here." He asked

"Sure, do you want to spend the night here too? I have more than enough room." She told him

He walked in and grabbed his backpack, then walked back to the door.

"I'm alright, I was planning on catching up on my reading back home. Thanks though!" He said leaving her house

Pyrrha closed the door and sighed. Blake, watching the event from the stairs, made a mental note to talk to Ethan about it.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 28

Ethan woke up upside down and tied up, hanging over Pyrrha's pool. He saw Blake holding a rope that was preventing him from falling into the water.

"Blake?" He asked

"Just so you know, this was all my idea. And you're also in your boxers, to make this even more embarrassing." She smiled

"Why the hell am I here?" He asked her

"We need to talk about Pyrrha." She said

"Oh god, not you too. It's not going to happen." He told her

She released the rope and he fell into the pool, before being pulled back up again.

"Tell me the truth Ethan." Blake said

"You want the truth? Fine then." He exclaimed "She's a really beautiful girl and as much as I would love to ask her out I can't."

"Why's that?" Blake asked

"Check my phone pictures." He told her

She grabbed his phone and looked at the photos.

"Someone's targeting her." Blake said quietly

Ethan grabbed his phone from her hand and looked back at her, he was fully dressed and dry.

"How did you?" She asked

"Illusion magic." He said pocketing his phone "Next time don't be super loud when entering my room at two in the morning."

They left the pool to find Pyrrha entering the front door carrying groceries. Ethan walked over and helped her with them.

"Thanks." She smiled

"Anytime Pyrrha." He said looking at her for a bit longer than he should have

Blake nudged him and he glared at her.

"We should go camping next weekend." Blake suggested

"I would love that! With the end of the year so close it would be perfect." Pyrrha cheered

"And Mr. Boy Scout Ethan here can lead us on an adventure." Blake teased

"You promised never to bring that up again, and it's Eagle Scout by the way." He exclaimed

"I've always wanted to date an Eagle Scout." Pyrrha said moving closer to him

"I already told you Pyrrha, it's not going to happen." He said walking away towards the door

He opened the door and walked out. Pyrrha looked at Blake as she slapped her forehead.

"You have to give him time." Blake told her

Darren greeted Ethan as the two walked from Pyrrha's house to the park. Darren and them were going to play basketball against some kids from their class.

"Camping would be great!" Darren told him "You two can share a tent and everything."

"Hell no, I'll sleep in a tree." Ethan told him

Darren laughed as they arrived at the court and couldn't find their opponents. Darren put the ball down and stood back to back with Ethan. They both brought their weapons out as their opponents revealed themselves, armed to the teeth.

"Oh shit." Ethan said

"You don't say." Darren replied "How do these guys keep finding us?"

A shot was heard and Darren collapsed, Ethan caught him. He laid him down and saw the tranquilizer dart sticking out his neck. He stood back up and laughed.

"You guys are in for a world of pain. I'm not holding back." He laughed

The eight guys surrounded him, they all rushed him at the same time. Ethan jumped and kicked one in the face, before flipping in mid air and landing on another. They came at him again, he caught the baseball bat of one and kicked him back into two others. He jumped off of the guy he was on and threw his wires at another. They pierced through his chest and wrapped around his heart. Ethan landed and pulled on his wires, crushing the guy's heart literally. Ethan felt the wires get cut as he used them to block an attack from another goon. His knife cut the wires and sliced a bit of Ethan's shoulder. Ethan took his metal tipped fingers and shoved his hand into the guy's stomach. He pulled it out and along with some of his organs. Ethan kicked the guy back and looked at the other six still ready to fight. He ran at them this time, throwing wires straight at them. One poor soul was lucky enough to have all the wires pierce his chest, this time the wires wrapped around his lungs. Ethan pulled on them, bringing the guy flying towards him and killing him at the same time. He jumped and landed on top of him, sending the now dead goon into the ground with cracks being heard all over his body. A goon snuck up behind Ethan and stabbed him. He spun around and punched him, he stood up and wrapped the guys throat in wires. Pulling as hard as he could, he separated the head and body of the pool guy. He turned around and saw the remaining four aim guns at him. He stretched his arms out and closed his eyes. What happened next came as a shock to the other four. His wires acted on their own, piercing through their bodies and tying them all together. Ethan opened his eyes and the wires kept doing their thing, almost as if they were working telepathically. They stopped and Ethan held a firm grip on his wires as the other four goons were tied up and had nowhere else to run. He pulled and killed the four of them by slicing them in half. Retracting his wires, he looked at Darren and picked him up. More of the goons showed up this time armed with more guns, Ethan put his friend back down and prepared for a fight. He was about to attack, when he saw a guy get sent flying from a redheaded amazon.

"Pyrrha?" He asked to himself

She threw her shield and smacked a goon with her spear. Her shield came back to her as she used to it block bullets. The guy's gun moved to instead fire on his teammates. Pyrrha rolled and stabbed him. She pulled her spear out and changed to a rifle, firing on the other goons. In what appeared to be a matter of seconds she had killed them all. Blake appeared behind her, with her transformable weapon slung over her back. Blake was wearing the outfit he had seen her wearing at Beacon when he visited her first year there. She walked over and caught her brother as he passed out. Pyrrha picked up Darren and the two took them back to Pyrrha's house. They transformed two of the empty rooms into medical wards. Each one had their introduction of their first patient.

Ethan woke up as he felt someone looking at him. Sitting up he was blinded by the sun and covered his eyes. Pyrrha walked over and closed the blinds. Ethan looked at her and smiled when she wasn't looking at him.

"Thank's for saving us last night." He told her

She walked back over to his side and sat in her chair.

"It's not a problem. You guys would have done the same for us anyway." She smiled at him

Ethan smiled and got out of bed. Pyrrha looked at him without his shirt on and noticed his toned body. He looked at her and laughed.

"What's so funny?" She asked blushing

"You are all over this." He said gesturing to his body

"I am not." She said as her blush deepened in color

Ethan just laughed and walked over to his backpack she brought over for him. He reached inside and pulled out a red hoodie. He put it on and looked back at her.

"You had some good techniques last night." He told her

"Nothing beats your weapon though." She said pointing to him

He flicked his hands and his weapons appeared. Pyrrha smiled, then glared at him when she realized what he was doing. She grabbed the wire and pulled him towards her, she pulled a bit too hard and he landed on top of her. The two looked into each other's eyes, they moved their lips towards each others. But Ethan pushed himself off and stood up.

"It can't happen Pyrrha." He told her

"Why can't it. I heard what you said about me from Blake." She said standing up and walking over to him

"Last night is a taste of what my everyday life is like. People are constantly hunting Darren and I down. If I were to get into a relationship they would go after you and I'm not going to let that happen." He told her

"But you and Darren work well together, you wouldn't have needed us if he didn't get knocked out last night." She said "Why can't we be a couple and work together?"

"Because they're targeting you!" Ethan yelled

"What?" She said quietly

"They've been targeting you since beginning of Sophomore year. You want to know the real reason I stopped talking to you? That's it. I refused to let another person I love die because of a mistake I made." He told her

She sat down on the bed and just stared at him.

"What mistakes have you made?" She asked

"My parents were killed during a routine training exercise we were running out in the mountains. I was new to using Cross Tail so I went on the hunt for a rare treasure I had heard about. I arrived at the mountain and saw a danger beast guarding it. I tried to fight it, but it was much stronger than me. My parent's came in and managed to defeat it, but it cost them their lives in the process as the cave had collapsed in on itself." He said

"The cave collapse was a natural disaster." She said

"No it wasn't. I threw the wires trying to bring down a single rock onto the danger beast, instead I brought down the whole damn cave." He told her

She held her hands over her mouth in shock. He was looking down at the ground the whole time while he told her everything.

"Then what about your Uncle Ren?" She asked

"He died from his house burning down." He told her finally looking up

"So you're parent's were killed because of a mistake you had made." She said quietly

"Now do you see why I don't want to drag you into this? You already have enough of a target on your back. Once we get that dealt with, then maybe we can go out." He told her as he left the room

Before she could hug him he was gone. She looked out into the hall and saw him walking towards Darren's room. Blake had greeted Pyrrha in the hallway as Ethan opened the door to his room. An explosion occurred inside the room and launched Ethan back out into the hall.

"DARREN!" He yelled running back in

He located Darren laying on the ground and pulled him out into the hall.

"Stay with me Darren!" He said activating Cross Tail to help remove the shrapnel

"Ethan," He coughed "Get those sons of bitches back for what they've done."

"You got it buddy. I'll kill all of them." Ethan said grabbing his partners hand

Darren died, and Ethan stood up and punched the wall. He collapsed onto his knees and screamed in pain at the loss of his friend.

They buried him in the backyard. They had their own funeral procession. Everyone spoke about Darren and the great person and assassin he was. After the funeral Blake left to go gather intel on what happened, leaving Pyrrha and Ethan at his grave. Ethan moved his hand out of his pocket and held Pyrrha's hand.

"I'm sorry for everything. I promise I'll get that target off your back." He said hugging her

"Am I dreaming?" She asked hugging him back

"I hope not, otherwise this is a messed up dream." He told her

Pyrrha laughed as she comforted her friend/crush.

"Just come back safe." She told him

He broke the hug and kissed her forehead, then left to find Blake. He knew where they were hiding and how to kill them all.

He ran into Blake as she left the site of the explosion.

"Find anything useful?" He asked her

"Nothing much, I'll take this back to Beacon in the fall and have it analyzed." She told him "How are you holding up?"

"I'm in a real shitty state. I feel more vulnerable than ever right now and the one person I want to talk to has a target on her back." He told her

"Well then work to eliminate the target on her back." Blake said putting a hand on her brother's shoulder "Do you have a plan?"

"Indeed I do, I just need my weapons and I'm going to start it." He said walking towards the room he was staying in

"What's your plan?" She asked turning to follow him

He stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder at her.

"Kill the bastards." He said "All of them."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 29

Pyrrha sat in her english class reading some book she brought to school that day. She found herself talking to Blake a lot since the day Ethan dropped of the face of planet earth. Blake told her as much as she could but Pyrrha could tell she was holding a lot of information back. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and looked at it, Blake had texted her a status update.

 _He found their headquarters, he's moving in soon._

 _~Blake_

Pyrrha smiled at this then put her phone back in her pocket and looked at the clock. He had been gone for two weeks now. There was another four weeks left in the school year, she wondered when he would be back. The bell rang and she walked to her locker, she expected to see Darren standing by her locker. She arrived at her locker and opened it up, she saw a note hanging from wire in her locker. She read it and realized it was a joke, signed by Ethan. She laughed at it and prepared for her next class, which happened to be 4th hour biology. She walked into the class and saw the empty seats of her friends, Ethan and Darren. A tear almost escaped her eye at the thought of them both dead but she wiped it and soldiered on. The teacher took attendance and straightened his back.

"Has anyone seen Darren or Ethan recently? They've been gone two weeks now." The teacher asked his class

Pyrrha raised her hand to answer.

"Yes, Pyrrha." He said to her

"Both of them went out of town on a last minute vacation planned by their families." She told him

"I hope they study up for the final then." He said submitting attendance

He took fact of when he submitted it that his class size dropped by two students. He figured it was a glitch and submitted it anyway.

Ethan walked down the street his hands in his pocket as he neared the location he needed to be at. He walked into a pawn shop and walked up to the clerk.

"How can I help you today?" He asked him

"You can tell me where to find these people." Ethan said presenting him a list of names

"Kid, do you know who these people are?" The clerk asked

"Do you know who I am?" He asked in return

"I'll tell you where to find them. But be careful kid, these are dangerous people you're trying to mess with." The clerk said as he started writing addresses next to the names

"So am I." Ethan said removing his hands from his pockets and flicking them

After the clerk finished Ethan took the paper and put it in his pocket. He turned to leave but stopped and pulled on his wires he had secretly placed. The clerk's throat was slit and he fell dead.

"Can't leave any evidence behind." Ethan said walking out of the store

Blake's phone rang and she answered it.

"Blake here." She answered pausing the Tv

"Miss Belladonna, how are you doing?" Professor Ozpin asked her

"I'm doing fine sir. I was just watching some Tv when you called." She answered

"That's splendid, would you happen to know where you're brother is by any chance?" He asked her

Blake looked over at a family photo of her and Ethan.

"I'm sorry sir, but I'm not at liberty to say where exactly he is." Blake told him

"It's all fine Miss Belladonna. We are saddened to hear of the death of Darren. He was one the first people to send in his application to Beacon, along with your brother." Ozpin told her

"Ethan and Darren applied?" She asked

"Yes they did, they were both accepted. But we instead offered your brother the deal that he took also." Ozpin further informed her

"Wait, so Ethan will be attending Beacon next year?" Blake asked holding back her joy

"Indeed he is. Do you know who Darren's older brother is?" She was asked

"I never got to meet him, but Darren told me all about him." Blake responded

"You actually have met him, and he's right outside your door." Ozpin told her "He is the reason why I called. He want's to help Ethan find his murderers."

"Thank you professor." Blake said

"Anytime Miss Belladonna." Ozpin said hanging up the phone

Blake walked over to the door and opened it. They stood outside wearing a green trench coat, white pants, and a long sleeve green t-shirt. He had a pink strand in his black hair.

"Ren?" She said in shock

"In the flesh. Now, where's Ethan." He asked her

"He's out doing recon on the organization that organized the assassination of Darren. I honestly have no clue where he is." Blake said

Ethan looked up and read the sign, _Welcome to Vale_. He walked around the town until he reached where he was supposed to be. He sat down at the bench in the park, Ozpin walked over and sat down next to him.

"I hear you're hunting the Red Roses." Ozpin said to him

"I am. If you have any information I would like it." Ethan responded

"Are you in a rush to destroy them?" Ozpin asked

"Let's just say they have painted a target on someone in my life and I want that target gone." He told him

"I see, and Miss Nikos has no idea where you are?" Ozpin further inquired

"How did…" He started to ask

"I know more than you think I do Ethan." Ozpin replied

"You're telling me your brother is off fighting the Red Rose, an organization that Night Raid still hasn't been able to beat. By himself?!" Ren exclaimed

"You're not the only one with questions here." Blake told him

They were standing in the kitchen discussing Ethan's whereabouts for a solid half hour.

"What questions do you have for me?" He asked her as he fixed his green trench coat

"Since when did you join Night Raid? We never saw you at any of the events let alone important meetings." She added "Also, where's Nora?"

"Nora is back home visiting her family. I came right back here after hearing what happened." He told her "Blake, the Red Rose have a target painted on Pyrrha's back. They will stop at nothing to make sure she is out of the equation. Let me help Ethan in this assignment."

"Why would I need your help Ren?" They heard from the couch

Blake and Ren stood up upon hearing the voice.

"Ethan?" Blake asked as she ran over and hugged her brother "I'm glad to see you're ok."

"Good to see you too." He told her returning her hug

"Ethan, we need to talk." Ren told him

"I agree." Ethan said walking past him and out the door "Let's go."

Together they walked outside and stood in front of the house.

"Blake doesn't know does she?" Ren asked him as he crossed his arms

Ethan stood across from Ren and put his hands in his jacket pockets.

"She probably suspects something. But what new info do you have? Ozpin just sent me some and we might be able to end this with whatever information you have." Ethan said

"I'll accompany you on the final mission. I don't want what happened to Darren to happen to you." Ren said

"I can do this alone Ren, just give me the info." He said taking his hands out of his pockets

"Ethan," Ren said uncrossing his arms "you can't do this by yourself. You're going to get yourself killed."

"I know the risks Ren." He sternly said "You can either help me make this go faster or we can stand here arguing until Blake comes out and drags us back in."

"Fine then." Ren said handing him a flash drive "But tell me where you are so I can support you if needed."

"Alright." Ethan said as he went to open the door then stopped

"What's wrong?" Ren asked him

"I got to be honest with you Ren." He said moving his hand away and looking at him "I'm scared."

Ren put his hand on Ethan's shoulder.

"I'm here if you need me. An assassin should never be afraid to ask for help. Blake told me about Pyrrha." He told him "I would be more than willing to help you on this."

"I'll need you as support. But they got personal when they targeted her." Ethan said

"I feel ya buddy." Ren said opening the door "Let's head back in."

They walked back inside and Blake was asleep on the couch. Ren closed the door and they just stared at her.

"Seriously, how long were we out there?" Ren asked in disbelief

"Well, she is a cat." Ethan laughed and pointed to her ears

"True, a cute one too." Ren told him

"I swear I will kill you if you start hitting on my sister." Ethan laughed

They moved to the table in the kitchen and sat down. Ethan looked outside and saw the moon rise into the sky. Ren made himself a cup of coffee, and another for Ethan.

"So, what's the plan?" Ren asked him

"Using the information you and Ozpin gave me, we track them down to their main HQ. We break in and clear them out, making our way to the boss. I kill him while you stand watch. We then wipe the computers and blow the building." Ethan said "Then we relax."

"I like that, but how do you plan to blow up a big ass building?" Ren asked him

"We may have to seek outside help on that one." Ethan said sipping his coffee

Pyrrha woke up and looked at her phone. She had a missed call. Puzzled, she opened her phone and saw that Blake had called her. Luckily she left a voicemail. Pyrrha listened to it and smiled when it ended. She jumped out of bed and quickly changed into her average clothes. She ran out of her room and down the stairs. She flew the door open and ran to Blake's house.

Arriving she saw Blake standing out front with a man in a green trench coat and black hair. Further approaching she saw the white pants and green shirt.

"You have no idea where he went off to?" Blake asked him

"I told you Blake, we woke up and he wasn't there." Ren told her

"Blake, I got your voicemail. What's going on?" Pyrrha asked approaching them

"Ren, stay here. Pyrrha, I'll explain over lunch." Blake said as she and Pyrrha left Ren

Ren pulled his phone out and dialed a number into it. He put it up to his ear and heard the person he was calling answer.

"Yo!" They said

"They're gone. Are we all set up?" Ren asked

"I'll text you the meeting location." Ethan said hanging up the phone

Pyrrha and Blake sat at a local coffee shop to have lunch. Their waiter took their order and left to go get their drinks.

"So Ethan's gone again?" Pyrrha asked disappointed

"He was here yesterday and now he's gone." Blake sighed

"Well whatever he's doing is for the good of all of us." Pyrrha told her

"I just worry about the way he's running things. Sometimes he's a bit reckless." Blake mentioned

Ethan leaned up against the side of the car while Ren checked out the front lobby of the office building. He walked out and stopped next to Ethan.

"What does it look like?" Ethan asked him

"Getting in is the hard part. Getting out is the easy part. Guards on each floor, with the boss obviously being at the top. The Research and Development department is on the 27th floor. There we should find enough firepower to blow the building." Ren told him

"Alright then, here's what we'll do." Ethan said "We fight our way up to the top. We hit Research and Development then rig something to go off. After that, hit the boss and we leave via the roof."

"Sounds good, now do you want to make the initial entrance or shall I?" Ren asked

"First let's change into something that suits breaking into a gang company." Ethan said getting in the car

Ren laughed and walked to the driver side and got in. They drove back to their hotel and Ren saw the suits that Ethan had laid out for them.

"You got suits?" Ren laughed

"Yeah, what better than to break into a gang corporation then in style." Ethan said then froze "Wait, I don't think that was proper english."

Ren laughed and lifted up his suit. Both were black, but Ren had a green shirt while Ethan had a red shirt. They put the suits on and walked back to the car from their room. Upon arriving, Ethan pulled out a pair of aviators and put them on.

"It is so on." Ethan said as they drove off

Blake's phone rang and she saw it was an unknown caller.

"Hello?" She asked

"Hello Miss Belladonna. I am a representative of the Red Rose." They said

Blake froze and slowly walked to her room. Upon getting to her room she pulled out her sword.

"What do you want?" She asked

"We are just calling to inform you of a situation that is developing over here at Red Rose headquarters. We just wanted to say that your friend Miss Nikos will be more closely watched. If anything happens your friend will be the first to find out." They said hanging up

Blake changed into her combat attire and threw her weapon on her back. She ran out of her house and onto the street. She looked around and ran to Pyrrha's house. Opening the door she walked in and drew her weapon. She transformed it into a gun and readied herself.

"Pyrrha?" She called out

She moved forward and then stopped. She spun around and was facing Professor Ozpin. Her gun aimed right at him.

"Oh sorry Professor." Blake said lowering her gun

"It is alright my dear Blake." He said "It is natural to be prepared for the enemy to strike at anytime."

"Are you waiting for Pyrrha, it appears she's still at school." Blake said

"I am indeed, It appears I arrived at a good time because I also need you to approve something for me." He said pulling out a datapad and handing it to her

Blake read it over and looked up at him.

"Shouldn't Professor Goodwitch approve this? And not a student?" Blake asked

"She already did, I just wanted to get your thoughts on your team." Ozpin replied

Blake scrolled down and looked at her team.

"You're combining first years and second years?" She asked puzzled

"Your team is special. Since you all work so well now I figured that would carry over. And you have no objections to your team leader?" He further asked

"I think he will lead us very well. I trust him with my life." Blake smiled

"I am excited to start a new year. We will have some splendid talent." Ozpin said walking over to sit on a couch

Blake checked the clock and saw that the school should be getting out soon. She leant up against the wall and waited.

Pyrrha was walking home when she saw a red haired elf waiting outside her house. She was talking to Blake. She had an elven breastplate, arm guards, and shin guards. Underneath that she had on a black t-shirt and brown pants. Pyrrha approached them and Blake saw here.

"Pyrrha!" She said grabbing her and pulling her over to them "This is another student going to Beacon."

"Hi! I'm Rosaria." She said waving at her

"I'm Pyrrha. Nice to meet you."

They heard the door open and all looked at Ozpin.

"Miss Nikos, I thought I heard your voice." He said greeting her "I see you've met Rosaria."

"I've never met an elf before." Pyrrha said "Always good to meet new people."

"That's splendid. I have to borrow Blake to help me prepare some information for next year. Rosaria here will protect you in her place." Ozpin said

"Professor, can I have a minute with Pyrrha?" Blake asked

"Certainly, come on Rosaria. Let's see your weapon in action." Ozpin said as they left the two alone

"I'll text you as I get more info on Ethan and what's going on." Blake told her "Rosaria is strong and a good fighter. She actually beat me at the open house last year."

"Ok, I will. Good luck Blake." Pyrrha said as Blake left to join Ozpin

Rosaria walked up to Pyrrha and put her hand on her shoulder.

"They'll be back. Don't worry." She said "Come on, I'll cook us something for lunch."

"You can cook?" Pyrrha asked

"Yeah, off course I can. I'll teach you." Rosaria told her

Together they went inside and were in for a night of excitement.

Ethan and Ren walked into the lobby of the building. They saw people wearing white suits with red shirts, the red rose gang members.

"Let's find the elevator." Ren said

"Don't feel like starting the shootout now?" Ethan whispered as they walked over to elevator

They got inside and pushed the button for the 10th floor.

"Major guard development wasn't until floor 10. Boss is located on the 30th floor. Only way we can get up after floor 10 is through a staircase, I'll cover our backs as we reach a new floor." Ren told him

Ethan flicked his wrists and Cross Tail appeared, Ren shaked his arms and StormFlower came out of his sleeves and into his hands. His pistols had knifes in front of his hands extending from the barrel downward. They saw that the elevator was slowing down near floor 6. They hid their weapons behind their backs as the door opened. A gang member walked in and greeted them.

"Where you guys going?" He asked them

"10th floor. You?" Ethan asked

"Same. Why do you have sunglasses on inside?" He asked Ethan

Ren sighed and stabbed the gang member in the neck with StormFlower. The gang member dropped to the ground.

"Well shit, how the hell are we supposed to hide him?" Ethan asked

"We don't. Our floor is here." Ren said as the doors opened

They burst out and started the fight. Only 20 more floors to go ahead of them.

Ren shot the last gang member and opened the door to the staircase leading up the next floor.

"These guys are getting to be a pain the ass." Ethan sighed reading the sign next to the stairs "And we have three more floors to clear."

"Relax, this is the big payout. Let's finish this once and for all." Ren said as they walked up the stairs

They stopped at the door and Ethan looked at Ren.

"Ethan, let me take this floor. I want you to run to the next floor and get up to the boss quickly. This is floor 27, home of Research and Development. I want to have some fun." Ren asked him

"Sure thing, just cover me so I can make it alive." Ethan laughed "On your mark."

Ren kicked open the door and aimed his weapon onto the floor. The floor contained a bunch of labs and storage units. Ethan saw the door on the opposite side of the room. He nodded to Ren and he made a made dash for the door. The hiding gang members popped their heads up to fire. Ren was faster and fired at them. They quickly ducked back down, letting Ethan make it to the door. He flashed Ren a smile and a thumbs up, before opening the door. Ren hid behind a pillar and saw the lock on the door, he shot the lock so no one else could get passed it.

"Alright Ren." He told himself "Get out of this alive so Nora doesn't kill you."

He closed his eyes and listened for the gang members. He heard one on his left, so he popped his gun out and fired. He heard a thud and smiled. Ren opened his eyes and popped out again, this time running into one of the labs. Sliding into the lab, he sliced the leg of the gang member watching the door. What followed next was a swift slice with Ren's gun. The other two members pulled out swords and ran at him. Ren blocked the first sword and dodged the second by stepping to the side. He kneed the blocked swordsmen in the groin, then shot him with his other gun. He spun around and kicked the other gang member in the chest. Sending him back into some very corrosive chemicals. He broke the bottles containing them and felt them melt his back. Ren shot the man quickly so he could no longer have to listen to his screams. He looked around and saw that he had three more labs to clear. He ran into the next one and shot the member who stood up to fire at him. Another tried to stab him, but he moved to the side and instead Ren sliced the man's throat. Before putting two rounds into the man's chest. The other gang members from the other labs all ran into that lab to trap him. Ren fired his guns at the incoming gang members. He killed four of them before they got close to him. He dodged a knife and sliced the attackers chest open. Ren jumped up onto the lab table and kicked a man in the head, before putting a round in it. They surrounded Ren as he stood on the table. In a quick action, he pushed himself off the table and broke through the lab's window. He rolled into the hallway and shot the propane tank sitting in the lab he was in. It exploded and killed the remaining gang members. Smiling to himself, Ren stood up and tapped the earpiece in his ear.

"Ethan, I got my floor clear. I'll figure out a way to destroy the building." He said

"Copy that Ren. I just cleared floor 28, moving onto 29 now." Ethan said as he pulled on his wires and killed the last gang member on that floor

"Ok, good luck." Ren said before ending the transmission

Ethan walked to the staircase and froze. He spun around to see a knife come flying at him. He caught it with his hands and dropped it onto the ground. A gang member he thought he killed had two swords out and was ready to rush Ethan.

"Damn it, of course with my luck I don't actually kill a guy." Ethan sighed

The man rushed him and attacked. Ethan dodged the first sword, but the second one sliced his arm. Ethan stepped back and looked at the man.

"This is a new suit!" He yelled "You bastard!"

The man looked confused as Ethan threw his wires at him. They broke into his chest and wrapped around his lungs. Ethan pulled on both sets and crushed the man's lungs. Ethan then walked over and picked up one of the swords as the man choked to death. Smiling, Ethan cut his head off and dropped the sword.

"Damn idiot. You don't ruin a new suit." Ethan laughed as he walked over to the door and opening it

He began his walk up the stairs when he decided to check his spool of wires. He pulled it out and looked at it. He was almost empty, so he knew he would have to conserve his wires. He saw the door to floor 29 and ran up the stairs to it. Putting his spool back, he opened the door and walked out onto the floor.

"Where the hell is everyone?" Ethan asked looking around

"Intruder, identify yourself." He heard

A robot about his size walked out and looked at him. He turned his arms into swords and readied his stance for a fight.

"Who are you?" Ethan asked

"Intruder, identify yourself." The robot said again

"How about I identify myself after I've killed your boss." Ethan proposed

"If you refuse to comply you will die." The robot said rushing him

Ethan barely had enough time to dodge the attack. He rolled to the side and pushed himself up onto one knee.

"Alright then. Do it that way." Ethan muttered as the robot charged him again

He stood up and dodged his attacks by moving to the side. Ethan wrapped some wires around the robot's arm and pulled, he managed to separate the robot's left arm. He then jumped and kicked the robot in the back, sending it crashing into an office. Ethan pushed himself off the ground with one hand and landed on his feet. The robot got back up and changed his other arm into a gun, he turned around and shot at Ethan. He dove behind a pillar and dodged the gunfire. The robot walked over and aimed behind the pillar, but Ethan wasn't there. A sword pierced through the robot's chest and it fell down. Ethan pulled the robot's arm with the sword out and then slammed it into it's head.

"Damn robot." Ethan said as he walked over to the door for the 30th floor

He opened the door and ran up the stairs. Arriving at the door he kicked it open, two guards were standing next to the door as he kicked it open. Ethan walked into the room and ducked as the two shot each other.

"Idiots." Ethan said standing up and walking over to the desk of the boss

The chair wasn't facing Ethan, so he grabbed the chair and spun it around. Instead of finding the boss he found a file with Pyrrha's name on it. He grabbed the file and opened it, inside contained pictures of Pyrrha. It contained her address, her school schedule, and a list of her friends.

"Ren, we have a problem." Ethan said tapping his earpiece

"What's the problem?" Ren asked "I just about got this place ready to blow."

"They're going after Pyrrha." Ethan said

"Well of course they are, that's why we're here. To end them going after her." Ren replied

"No I mean they're going after her now. We have to get back." Ethan said thrown the file back onto the chair

"That might be a problem." He heard Ren say

"What do you mean?" Ethan asked walking back down the stairs

"I shot the lock so no one else could follow you upstairs." Ren told him

"I got a backup plan, don't worry." Ethan said as he saw a window "Meet me at Pyrrha's house."

Ethan ran and jumped through the window, he used his wires to latch onto a nearby roof and allow him to land safely. He stole a motorcycle and began his trip back to Pyrrha's house. He arrived at a red light and hooked his phone up to his earpiece. He called Pyrrha immediately.

Pyrrha heard her phone ring, she excused herself and pulled it out. They were playing Risk and currently Rosaria was winning.

"Hello." Pyrrha said answering her phone

"Pyrrha, you have to hide. They're coming after you today." Ethan told her

"Ethan? I have questions you need to answer first." Pyrrha told him

"Damn it Pyrrha, a bunch of heavily armed gangsters are heading over to your house to kill you and you want to ask me a bunch of questions?" He asked angrily "You need to hide and now!"

Pyrrha heard a car pull up and ran over to her window. She saw men in white suits getting out. Rosaria walked over and saw them too.

"We have to hide." Pyrrha said

"Thank you." Ethan said hanging up

"Where do we hide though?" Rosaria asked

Pyrrha walked over to the closet to reveal a secret compartment.

"We should be safe in here." Pyrrha said "But I think we should fight. We have the means to."

"We need to hide, there is a time and a place to fight. Now is not that time." Rosaria said pushing Pyrrha into the compartment

Rosaria followed her in and closed the door. It was a small room similar to a panic room. Pyrrha walked over to a dresser and pulled out her combat gear. She put it on and readied her spear and shield.

Ethan pulled up to his house and ran in. He found Blake on the couch, she heard him enter and stood up. He walked right past her and into his room, she followed him and saw him put on his usual assassin attire. This time he put on a gray hat backwards and looked at her.

"Stay here." He told her "They're going after Pyrrha and I want you to stay here."

"Pyrrha has Rosaria to look after her." Blake said

"Who?" Ethan asked

"She's another first year going into Beacon. Ozpin put her in charge of protecting Pyrrha." Blake further told him

Ethan walked past her and out the door. He ran to Pyrrha's house, faster than he's ever ran before. He saw the cars parked out front and anger filled his body. He jumped onto the car and over the fence. Landing, he threw his wires at two gang members who saw him. They went right through their throats and Ethan retracted his wires. He stood up and looked around, no other guards appeared to be outside. He ran over to the house and climbed up to the 3rd floor. He entered using the room he last used to assassinate Jake. Climbing over the balcony, he walked over to the door and carefully cracked it open. He saw two guards walk past and opened the door to attack them. He snapped one's neck and punched the other in the throat with his metal tips, which punctured his throat and killed the man. Ethan looked around and hid the bodies in the room he was just in. He left the room again and found the room he used during the party for his vantage point. He opened the door and found a sniper waiting, Ethan reacted quickly by throwing his wires into the sniper's chest. He pulled on the wires and killed the man. Ethan then picked up the sniper rifle and saw it was silenced. A smile grew across his lips as he set it up and wrote a quick note. He hid up against the wall and looked into the main area to find their boss with Pyrrha and Rosaria, along with two guards.

"What shall we do to them boss." One of the gang members asked

"Since we are all that remains, we shall leverage these two against Night Raid." Their boss said

The two gang members were instantly pulled up into the air as Ethan dropped down from the balcony.

"I noticed your presence, assassin." They said "Wait a minute, I know you."

"I'm sure you do. My name has reached many across the world." Ethan said pulling on his wires and killing the gang members

Pyrrha had then noticed the rings on his ring fingers. She opened her mouth when she saw them and then knew that the Ethan she had known freshman year was not the same before her.

"Pyrrha, you and Rosaria leave. This is personal." Ethan told them

Pyrrha stood and looked at him.

"Why?" She asked "Who really are you?"

"You're going to need to clarify dear." Ethan told her "I have 3 names. One of which I accidentally married into."

"I recognize those rings, you were all over the news last year. The mass murder of the royal family. The guards had imprints of your rings on their faces." She told him

"Someone's done their research." Ethan said

"They call you the Red Shadow." The boss said

"Bingo." Ethan said throwing his wires at him

The boss pulled out a sword and cut the wires.

"I've seen your weapon boy. With its original owner. I should've killed him then instead of letting old age take him." The boss said drawing another sword

"I always heard the tales of Wrath." Ethan said readying his stance "Now let's see if what Grandpa Lubbock said was true."

Pyrrha and Rosaria had ran to the balcony hon the third floor. Rosaria saw the sniper and walked over to it. She handed Pyrrha the note.

 _Take the shot at the heart when he's open. It's our only chance to kill him. I can stall for a while, but not for long. I may or may not be low on wires right now. Stay up here and don't leave the room._

 _~Ethan_

Ethan dodged one of Wrath's attacks. He jumped back and threw his wires at his arm. Wrath cut them down and ran at Ethan. He rolled to the side and shoved his hand into Wrath's leg. He spun and kicked Ethan across the room. Ethan stood up and winced in pain, he looked at his arm and noticed a gash on it. He then looked at Wrath's sword and saw the blood. Ethan rushed Wrath, he swung and instead of ducking Ethan slid and threw his wires into Wrath's chest. He pulled him down on top of him, then kicked him up into the air and pulled. Wrath felt one of his lungs collapse. Wrath landed back on the ground and grabbed the wires, he pulled and Ethan came flying at him. He shoved his sword into Ethan's stomach, then threw him back across the room.

Pyrrha gasped and saw Rosaria take aim with the sniper.

"We have to help him." Pyrrha said

"I like that plan, but how?" Rosaria asked her

Pyrrha drew her spear and shield, then jumped down and landed in front of Ethan. Wrath laughed at the sight of her.

"You think you can beat me?" Wrath asked opening his arms

Rosaria pulled the trigger and Wrath felt his philosopher's stone break. Ethan then jumped over Pyrrha and threw the last of his wires at Wrath. They wrapped around his neck, and Ethan pulled. Wrath's body came flying towards him, in which Ethan kicked his body and separated his head. Ethan stood there panting, then noticed something sticking out his chest. He looked down to see both of Wrath's swords in him.

"Damn it." He said passing out


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 30

Pyrrha smiled as she walked into the airship with her friends. Ren and Blake were talking about the teams. Even though Blake wasn't supposed to say anything she told them the team she was in. Which currently consisted of Ethan, Ren, Blake, and Pyrrha. The young amazon looked around the airship for Ethan, however he was nowhere to be found. The students were being flow in a day early, seeing as how their first class was tomorrow. That followed for most teams, but a select few had a class that night.

"I'm excited for this year." Ren said

"I am too." Blake told him

Pyrrha looked down as the door closed and the airship left for the school.

"What's wrong with Pyrrha?" Ren asked her

"Ethan still won't go out with her. She stopped asking him a couple weeks ago." Blake responded

Rosaria was sitting next to Pyrrha, trying to get her to talk to her.

"Pyrrha, don't worry. He'll recognize the mistake he made soon enough." Rosaria assured her

The rest of the ride was quiet and almost relaxing, it would have been relaxing but turbulence prevented that.

The airship landed at Beacon and the students left for their dorms. Ren and Blake led the way to their dorm. Blake opened the door and noticed the four beds with a dresser at each one's base. She walked in and Ren followed her after.

"Bunk beds?" She asked him

"Sure, why not." Ren laughed

Pyrrha stood out in the hall waiting for Ethan to show up.

After changing the bed's into bunk beds Blake stuck her head out and grabbed Pyrrha. She dragged her into the room and showed her their room. Each bunk bed contained the names of the people sleeping on them. It was Blake and Ren on one, then Ethan and Pyrrha on the other.

"How do you like our room?" Blake asked

"It's cool. I wish Ethan was here to see it though." Pyrrha said

"I'll talk to him when I get the chance." Ren said sitting on his bed

They still had three hours to kill before their class that night.

"I don't get why we have a class first thing tonight." Pyrrha said

"Well on the bright side we don't have a class tomorrow." Blake said as she heard a knocking at the door

Ren stood up and walked over, he opened the door and was tackled by a short ginger haired girl. She was wearing a pink skirt with a white shirt and black half jacket.

"Hi Nora." Ren coughed out

"Renny!" She yelled in excitement

"Renny?" Pyrrha asked

"It's the name I gave him. We've been together for a while, well not together together." She said

"Nora…" Ren said as he pushed her off of him

He stood up and she did too. Rosaria entered the room and saw Pyrrha.

"Hi Pyrrha!" She said walking over to her friend

"Hello Rosaria. Is Nora on your team?" Pyrrha asked

"Yes she is." Rosaria said giving her a thumbs up

"I'm sorry for you." They heard Ren say

"Who else is on your team?" Blake asked her

"Let's see, we have me, Nora, this blonde girl called Blaire, and Velvet." She responded as she counted on her fingers

"Sounds like a good team. Team BRNV." Blake said

"You guys are good too. Team BERP." Rosaria laughed

"I think I'm going to go for a walk before class starts." Pyrrha said leaving the room

Pyrrha walked to the classroom, she walked in and noticed the stairs leading down to the front of the class. Lining the sides of the class were benches with tables in front of them.

"Miss Nikos, what are you doing to class so early?" She heard

She spun around to see Professor Ozpin.

"I just wanted to see what the classroom looked like." She told him

"I see, well make sure you pay attention during this class. It might mean the difference between life and death." He said leaving her

She looked back at the front of the class to see something written on the chalkboard. She walked closer to it then heard the bell for class ring. She saw her team enter and sat with them. They sat next to Team BRNV. Pyrrha was sitting next to Blaire, and the two started talking. Blaire had her blonde hair in a ponytail and she had her white mage robes on.

"Are you a mage?" Pyrrha asked her

"I am, but my magic get's channeled through my weapon." She said producing a white handled knife

She pushed a button and it transformed itself into a shotgun revolver, she pushed it again and it transformed it back into a knife.

"That's so cool." Pyrrha said

"Thank's it took me a while to make it properly." Blaire responded

The class kept talking until the lights were turned off. The class panicked and the lights were turned back on. The teacher was sitting on his desk, his back to the class. He raised his hand and Pyrrha saw wires retract into the sleeve.

"If the lights ever go off don't panic. Instead use that to your advantage and use it to hone certain senses." He said turning around "After all, this is a class on stealth."

Pyrrha's jaw opened as she saw the teacher, Ethan sat on the desk wearing a black white striped suit and a red shirt. He straightened his black tie and flicked his wrist, retracting Cross Tail.

"I know what most of you are thinking right now. Why is a first year leading a class on stealth, when they probably don't know anything about it themselves." He said jumping off the desk and walking around the floor

Pyrrha noticed his rings had changed to a different kind of skull. She remembered one day seeing Blake hold a necklace with the same skull on it. When she asked what it was, Blake told her that death handed these out to people who are worthy of them. True master assassins.

"I know it's only the first day, but I have a challenge for all of you." He told them "You're goal for this year is to sneak up on me and assassinate me. All you have to do is sneak up behind me and tap me with your weapon. The first team to do it get's an automatic A. A few rules though, you can only do it on Fridays and weekends. Plus it has to be on school grounds. Anyway, let's move onto role now."

The class went by quickly. Before long the bell had rang and Ethan sat on his desk watching the class leave. His team remained and just looked at him.

"What?" He asked them

"Since when did you teach here?" Blake asked him

"Since I killed the entire Red Rose organization and Death gave me his rings." Ethan told her

"So you were here the whole time this morning?" Ren asked him

"Yup." He responded "Now I think it's best we get to bed. We don't want to get caught during after hours."

He jumped off the desk and walked out with the rest of his team. They arrived at their room and saw that team BRNV was living across from them. Blake and Ren left to join their friends for a bit, which left Pyrrha and Ethan in the room. Ethan walked over to his dresser and opened it up. He removed his tie and his jacket. He folded the jacket and put it away, he then removed his shirt and did the same. He turned around to see Pyrrha sitting at their desk working on something.

"What you working on?" Ethan asked her

She turned around and stared at him. Her eyes went wide and she got up and walked over to him. She looked at his chest and saw the scars from where Wrath stabbed him. She ran her hand over it, and blushed when Ethan coughed into his hand.

"Sorry." She said turning around

Ethan finished changing and put on his pajama pants. Pyrrha turned back around to see him wearing Darth Vader pajama pants. She started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" He asked her as he removed his rings and put them on his dresser

"You're a master assassin and you have Darth Vader pajama pants." She laughed

"Top or bottom?" He asked her

"What do you mean?" She blushed

"Do you want to sleep on the top bunk or the bottom bunk?" He asked again

"Oh, that. I'll take top bunk." She said

"Sweet, I'll see you in the morning." He said climbing into his bed

Pyrrha walked out and knocked on Team BNRV's door. Blaire opened it in her white nightgown.

"What's up Pyrrha?" She asked

"Can I talk to you about something?" Pyrrha asked

"Sure." She said walking out and closing the door

"It's about Ethan." Pyrrha said

"You like the teacher? That's a bit weird, but yet again everyone has weird fantasies." Blaire told her

"He's only a teacher for that class. Luckily it's only a night class on Monday's. I guess only a few teams were selected for his class in specific. But I need help with getting him to like me back." Pyrrha said

"Have you pulled the sexy card yet?" Blaire asked her

"I want to save that as a last resort." Pyrrha said sternly

"Let me think about this. I'll get back to you at breakfast tomorrow. Now can you please pull Blake and Ren out so we can sleep?" Blaire asked her

Pyrrha opened the door and walked in, she grabbed Blake and Ren. Pyrrha proceeded to drag them out and into the hall. Blaire opened her door and Pyrrha dragged them into their room. After she closed the door, Blaire walked back into her room to find her other teammates planning something.

"What's going on guys? As team leader I would like to know." Blaire told them as she sat on her bed

"We are planning operation Hook Rosaria Up With Ethan. Want to help us?" Velvet asked as she combed her brown hair

"Maybe later." Blaire said climbing into her bed and sleeping

Ethan woke up and felt someone next to him. He sat up and looked at who it was, he fell out of his bed and landed on the ground. Blake peeked her head over his bed and looked at him on the floor.

"Blake, what the hell are you doing in my bed?" He asked rubbing his head

"I got cold last night." She told him "Do you have a problem with it?"

"You're my sister. Stay in your own bed." He said noticing what she was wearing "And maybe next time wear more clothes to bed instead of your bra and underwear. Did you forget that we live with Ren now?"

Blake froze as she remembered that. Ren stirred in his sleep and ended up facing Blake and Ethan. Blake got out of bed as Ethan threw her a shirt of his. She put it on and luckily it covered her lower half too.

"That was close." She sighed

"You really are an idiot." Ethan said facepalming

"I'm not a total idiot." She replied

"Oh but you are." He told her

Blake laughed and then noticed wires going across his body.

"Did you wear Cross Tail to bed?" She asked him

He looked down at his arms and then noticed what she was talking about.

"I guess so yeah." He said as he retracted the gloves into the spools and removed it

Placing it on his dresser he saw the time, he had another hour to go until breakfast. Since breakfast was at nine o'clock and he was needed in the arena at 10:30.

"Mom would be proud you know." Blake told him

"I miss her Blake. I wish she was here to see us now. We took down the Red Rose." He said hugging her

She hugged him back and held him. She felt him cry at the thought of their mother.

"Blake don't. Nora will kill me." They heard Ren mutter in his sleep

A smile grew across their faces as they decided to mess with Ren. Blake walked over and climbed on top of him. Ethan pretended to be asleep while this went down.

"Wakey wakey Ren." Blake whispered seductively into his ear

Ren woke up and stared at Blake.

"What are you doing?" He asked her

"I was waiting for you to wake up, we don't want Nora finding out do we?" She said

Ren's eyes went wide and he heard a camera go off. Ethan sat in his bed with his phone pointed at them.

"Busted." Ethan laughed

"You guys are evil." Ren said as Blake got off of him

"Next time keep the dreams to one person." Blake laughed

"Ethan has more than one women in his dreams." Ren retaliated

"Dude." Ethan said

"Ethan?" Pyrrha asked from above him

He froze and Ren laughed. This was followed by Blake shoving Ren off his bed.

"What did I miss?" Pyrrha asked them as she got down from her bed

"Nothing." Ethan quickly said

"Ok then." Pyrrha replied

Blake looked at Ethan and he shrugged his shoulders.

"What time is breakfast?" Pyrrha asked

"In about 45 minutes." Ethan replied "Speaking of which, I'm going to shower."

He grabbed his towel and a pair of underwear and his jeans before leaving. Ren did the same thing. This left the girls in the room alone.

"So what's the plan for today?" Blake asked her

"I was going to ask him if he wanted to come weapons shopping with me." Pyrrha said

"Sounds like fun." Blake said

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Ren asked as he turned the shower on

"No, I'm not gay." Ethan laughed as he entered his shower "Sure what's up?"

Ren entered his own shower before continuing the conversation.

"Why haven't you and Pyrrha became a thing yet?" He asked him

Ethan stopped washing his hair and looked down at the ground.

"You know the answer to that. She deserves better than an assassin. She's a warrior. I'm not." Ethan told him

"That's bullshit if you ask me." Ren told him

Ethan laughed and turned off his shower.

"It's true though. You can't not admit it." Ethan paused "Wait, yes that did come out right."

Ren chuckled and turned his shower off too. He was drying himself off when he noticed something on the ground.

"Hey Ethan, come here." Ren said gesturing for him to come over

"What's wrong?" Ethan asked as Ren pointed to the object

Ethan couldn't find anything, until Ren bent down and picked up a black ring.

"That's Blake's." Ethan said

"Yeah, but what is it doing in here." Ren asked handing it to him

Ethan got dressed and shrugged his shoulders. He waited for Ren and they went back to their room. Ethan looked at the ring as they entered their room and pulled Blake outside. He closed the door and opened his hand, revealing the ring.

"Why was this in the guy's locker room?" Ethan asked

"I meant to give that to you. But I tripped and it flew into the guy's locker room." Blake told him "It was Dad's."

Ethan smiled and put it on his right hand. Blake held up the same black ring she had on her right hand, but that was their moms.

"Now I can find you if I need too." She said as the bands glew a dark red

Ethan hugged her then went back inside to finished getting dressed. Blake followed him in and sat on Ethan's bed. Ethan pulled out a gray shirt and put it on. He already had his socks and shoes on. He was looking for Cross Tail.

"Hey guys. Where's Cross Tail?" He asked as he opened up a drawer

"Over here." Ren said tossing it to him

"Thanks!" Ethan said catching it and putting it on "So the girls are next to shower."

Pyrrha and Blake left with their towels and clothes. Ren sat on his bed and saw Ethan pull out his gift.

"Finally using it?" Ren asked

"Of course I am." Ethan said "I have an arena match at 10:30. Gotta be prepared."

Ren smiled and set up his StormFlower contraption. He then put a shirt on and flashed Ethan a thumbs up.

Breakfast was quiet for Team BERP, as Ethan was mentally preparing himself for what was to happen later. He went over his weapon inventory and made sure he had them all. After checking, he saw the time. it read 9:45. Deciding this was a good time to leave, he got up and left for the arena.

"Where's he off to?" Blake asked Ren

"Arena match at 10:30. I guess the Beacon tournament is starting early." Ren laughed

"That's funny, I have a match at 10:30 too." Rosaria told them

Ren spat his drink out and looked at her.

"What?" He asked in shock

"Yeah, I guess I met my opponent. He's going down." Rosaria said leaving too

They waited for her to leave the cafeteria, before Blake brought out a box that had _Bets_ written on it.

"200 on Ethan." Pyrrha said

"Same." Ren said

Velvet bet 200 on Rosaria, along with Nora.

"I'll bet 200 on my little bro." Blake told them as she added her money and wrote her name down

"I'll bet 200 on Ethan too." Blaire said "I have faith in him."

"Blaire!" Velvet exclaimed pretending to be shot in the heart

"Relax, Rosaria will be fine." Nora said "She'll crush that little bug."

"Nora…" Ren told her

"Sorry. I'm just super excited to see a fight." She responded jumping up and down

"We should head over now." Blake said as she closed the box

Together they all walked over to the arena to witness the first match of the tournament at Beacon.

Ethan leant up against the wall in the tunnel. He had put his gray baseball cap on backwards and was ready for all hell to break loose. Ren had warned him about Rosaria when they found out it was her. Ethan looked into the tunnel opposite of him and saw her standing there, her elvish armor glistening in the light.

The arena was set up like a basketball court, bleachers all around and a rectangular battlefield in the middle. Team BERP and BNRV sat next to each other at at the top of the stands. In Beacon there was the Arena where all the official fights were held, and the stage where the combat class was taught.

Professor Ozpin walked out into the center of the Arena and lifted up the mic.

"Good morning hunters and huntresses. Today we will witness the first battle of the Beacon Tournament. Our first match is Ethan Belladonna up against Lady Rosaria. The winner is the first combatant to knock the other's aura into the red zone. Let's see the combatants." Ozpin said beckoning to the two students to walk out

Ethan put his earbuds in and hit play on his music. He walked out and only focused on Rosaria, nothing else. His team was cheering loudly for him, but he couldn't hear it.

"Why can't he hear us?" Pyrrha asked

"He has his headphones in. It helps him focus better." Blake told her

"But he can't hear then." Pyrrha said "How is he supposed to hear Rosaria when she's coming at him."

"Just watch my dear Pyrrha. You're in for a treat." Blake laughed

Ethan had his hands in his jacket pockets as he watched Rosaria walk out. She had a collapsable staff in her left hand. Ethan noticed the button on it that must have turned it into a bow like Ren said.

"Are the two combatants ready?" They heard overhead

Rosaria readied her stance with her staff, Ethan pulled his hands out of his pocket and activated Cross Tail.

The buzzer sounded and the fight was on. Rosaria sprinted at Ethan, her staff aimed to attack. He stood his ground until she got close enough to him. He grabbed her staff and kicked her backwards, he held onto her staff and tossed it back to her as she stood up. She picked it up and turned it into a bow, she pulled the magic string back and let loose a purple flaming arrow. Ethan did a backflip and dodged the arrow, he landed and Rosaria noticed the wires around her bow. He pulled and her bow went flying at him. Catching it, Ethan turned it back into a staff and threw it to the side. Rosaria was infuriated now at how badly she was losing. She pulled out her two daggers she kept on her back and ran at him. Ethan dodged the first strike and caught the second using his wires. He jumped back and retracted his wires. She ran at him again, but faster. Ethan rolled to the side and wrapped her legs up in wire. He threw them into the ceiling and she was dangling from the ceiling. Ethan stared at her and smiled a friendly smile. She cut the wires and held her ground. Ethan threw his wires at her and she cut them down, she finally realized his plan when he was already on top of her. He kicked one of her daggers out of her hand and picked it up for himself. He swung and she blocked it. He jumped back and readied a new stance for attack. Rosaria barely blocked his next attack as he rushed her. She moved her leg to kick him, but he ducked and wrapper her leg in wires. He threw her across the Arena. She slid on the ground and stopped next to her bow. She pushed herself up and picked it up. Readying an arrow she took aim and let it fly. Ethan moved to the left to dodge it, but saw another arrow flying at him. He cut it in half with the dagger and rolled to the side. Rosaria shot another arrow at him but he dodged it again. Ethan looked up at Ren, he nodded and Ethan deactivated Cross Tail. Rosaria laughed and shot another arrow at him. Ethan caught it and threw it back at her. It hit Rosaria and sent her flying back onto the ground. She stood up and saw both her daggers in front of her. Picking them up she saw Ethan sitting on the ground staring at her. She ran at him and felt herself become entwined. She saw Ethan's wires acting on their own. She sighed and Ethan walked up to her, holding the wires with his left hand.

The buzzer rang and victory for Ethan was declared. He let her down and she sat on the ground in shock. She saw a hand extended and she took it. Ethan helped her up and smiled at her, the headphones were gone so he could hear.

"Good job." He told her

"Yeah, but I still lost." She returned

"I'll teach you how to get better. You up for some lunch? I know this great little spot in town that serves amazing tacos." He told her

"Are you asking me on a date?" She blushed

"No, I'm asking you to lunch as a friend. There is a fine line." He laughed

"Close enough." She said taking his arm and dragging him out of the Arena

They were walking back to their rooms to change after the match when Rosaria tripped. Ethan caught her and she blushed.

"You alright?" He asked her

"Yeah, I'm fine." She responded "Thanks for catching me."

He smiled and walked into his room. He closed the door and Rosaria sighed, then smiled when she heard it open again and Ethan stuck his head out.

"Let me get changed then we'll head out." He said ducking back in and closing the door

Rosaria entered her own room and saw everyone else in the room.

"Guys?" She asked

"So what are you and Ethan doing?" Velvet asked her

"We were just going to get some food, he told me we can't stay long because he promised his friend he would go shopping with them later." She told them

Pyrrha internally smiled at the thought of him still remembering her activity.

"Now someone help me get ready." Rosaria said

"I think this is the part where I leave." Ren said leaving the room and going across the hall into his own

Ren opened the door to find Ethan against the wall panting and clutching his chest.

"Ethan!" Ren said running over to his friend "What the hell's going on?"

"I'm still recovering from some old wounds you could say." He said as he clutched his chest tighter

"Something's wrong with you. What is it?" Ren asked him

Ethan sat down on his bed and removed his shirt.

"Where Wrath had stabbed me," Ethan said pointing to the scars "his blades were tainted in dark magic. I've been trying to figure out a way to remove it but I have no results. It's been slowly killing me, and today made it worse."

"Does Ozpin know about this?" Ren asked "Let alone Blake and Pyrrha?"

"Ozpin does yes, but not them. You can't say anything to them." He told Ren

"Sure thing. I'll contact Night Raid and see if they have a cure." Ren told him "Now, just take today easy. No more fighting, in fact leave your weapons here."

Ethan sighed and removed Cross Tail. He handed it to Ren, who put it in his drawer. Ethan put his shirt back on and grabbed a hoodie to put on over his shirt. He flashed Ren a smile and left the room.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 31

Ethan bid farewell to Rosaria as she boarded the airship going back to Beacon. He still had to go shopping with Pyrrha. Which hopefully wouldn't be as bad as he thought it was going to be.

Pyrrha was waiting outside the shop when she saw Ethan approach. She waved and he ran over to her.

"Afternoon Pyrrha." He said

"How was your lunch with Rosaria?" She asked

"She seemed to be hitting me on the whole time. Almost like you." He smiled at that last part "But the good kind of hitting on me. Not the bad kind, if there even is a bad kind."

Pyrrha giggled as he added that last part. Ethan sighed and looked at her.

"So what's on the docket for today?" He asked her

She pulled out a list of all the things Blake said to do to maximize time with him.

"First things first, we need to go clothes shopping." Pyrrha said grabbing his hand "Come on."

She pulled Ethan and they started walking to the clothes shop. She kept holding his hand the whole time, which was freaking Ethan out.

" _Remember what you told Ren."_ He told himself

They arrived at the store and they walked in. Pyrrha walked to the back and brought Ethan along with her. She was looking at dresses when he noticed a familiar coat hanging up on the wall. Ethan walked over and asked the clerk about it.

"When Vale was first formed, a young man by the name of Lubbock came in here and asked to hold onto it until his grandson came to get it. I'm guessing you're his grandson?" The old man said

"Yeah. How much is the coat?" Ethan asked reaching for his wallet

The clerk simply put his hand on Ethan's shoulder.

"You're his grandson, it's yours." The clerk smiled at him

Ethan walked over and took it off the shelf, he put it on and walked back to Pyrrha. She exited a changing room wearing a red dress when she saw Ethan.

"Nice coat." She said "It suits you very well."

Ethan was frozen in place as she stood there in the red dress. It fit her very well and made her look more beautiful than she normally was.

"Earth to Ethan?" She asked waving her hand infront of his face

"You look like a goddess." Ethan told her

Pyrrha blushed and walked back inside the changing room. She walked out wearing her clothes and had the red dress in her hand.

"Did I say something bad?" He asked as she walked up to him

"Nope, you just told me what dress to buy for the dance." She smiled at him

"You'll definitely be turning heads in that dress." He added

She bought the dress and Ethan carried the bag. The clerk bid them farewell and told Ethan to come back soon.

"Who's coat is that?" Pyrrha asked him

"It's my Grandpa Lubbock's coat. He wore it during his time in Night Raid. It's a family heirloom you could say." He told her

Pyrrha pulled out the list and led them to the next item on the list, weapon shopping.

Ethan saw the forge and pointed it out, they walked over to it and entered the store.

"How can I help you kids today?" The dwarf behind the counter asked

"We're browsing for now." Pyrrha said

"If you see anything you like, call me over." He responded

Ethan was looking around and saw a dagger with a ruby in the hilt. He snuck over to the dwarf and told him he would like to buy the dagger.

"Planing on giving to that young lassie over there?" The dwarf whispered

"You could say so." Ethan responded as he handed over the cash

"Just throw it in the bag you currently have lad." The dwarf smiled at him

Ethan walked back over and put the dagger in the bag, he hid it under the dress. Pyrrha walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.

"You ready?" She asked him

"You done already?" He returned

"I figured I would come back when I had more time." She said looking out the window and seeing the moon rise into the sky "Why not we get dinner?"

"Alright, let's just make sure we're back before after hours." Ethan told her as they left the shop

Pyrrha took him to a cafe near the river that ran through the town. Ethan pulled her chair out for her then sat in his own opposite of her. She blushed and hid her face behind the menu, Blake's plan was working well. Too well.

"Blake told you what to do didn't she?" Ethan asked her

Pyrrha lowered the menu and looked at him.

"Relax Pyrrha, I'm enjoying our time out. I was just asking. I noticed you talking a bit more with her than usual." He told her

"She may or may not have helped me plan this day." Pyrrha admitted

Ethan laughed a bit then felt pain in his chest. He ignored it until it went away.

"Is everything alright Ethan?" Pyrrha asked him

"Yeah, everything's fine." He responded "What made you ask?"

"You looked like you were in pain for a minute." She said

"Nope, I'm all good." He told her as the pain came back

It was worse than the first time and all the previous times. He closed his eyes tight and waited. He opened them and saw the world spinning in front of him. Pyrrha looked worried as he became pale.

"Son of a…" Ethan said falling out of his chair and passing out

He woke up in the infirmary. He saw a rune sticking out his chest, it was black at the base and blue as it went higher up. He looked around and saw Blaire chanting something into the rune. Ethan watched as the dark magic was drained out of his body and into the rune. Blaire removed it and handed to Ozpin, who put it in a box and on the shelf of the infirmary.

"Mr. Belladonna, how are you doing today?" Ozpin asked him

"I've been better. Is it all out?" He returned

"Yes it is. Miss Blaire has been a big help with removing the dark magic from your body. Luckily you were only for a couple hours. Miss Nikos was very worried about you when she called." Ozpin told him as he left the room

Blaire sat next to Ethan and looked at him.

"You alright Blaire?" Ethan asked her

She blushed at his question.

"Yup, all fine here. I think I'll go tell Pyrrha you're awake." She said very quick and dashing out of the room

Blake saw Blaire dash out of the infirmary and she rushed in. She walked over to Ethan and took Blaire's seat.

"I have maybe five minutes before Pyrrha gets in here." Blake laughed "What the hell happened?"

"When Wrath stabbed me he put dark magic inside my body. It was slowly killing me until Blair removed it. I didn't want to tell you because then you would have made me take it easy. And you know I hate taking it easy." Ethan told her

Pyrrha entered the room and saw Ethan laying in the bed. She slowly walked over and stood next to Blake.

"I'll see you tonight Ethan." Blake said kissing his forehead and leaving

Pyrrha sat next to Ethan and looked down at the ground. Ethan moved his hand over and held hers. She looked at him and saw him smiling at her.

"Don't be sad, this was my reckless doing." He told her

She laughed and smiled back at him.

"You should head to class, I'll be fine here." He told her

She got up and went to leave for class but stopped. She walked back and kissed him. She blushed and then ran to class.

"Women are weird." Ethan said as he looked out the window

That night Ethan was released and Ren walked back with him to their room.

"What did I miss in history?" Ethan asked

"Nothing, because we never do anything in that class." Ren laughed

Ethan laughed and continued to walk back to their room. Pyrrha took his coat back for him when he was admitted, so Ethan was walking back in his grey t-shirt and jeans.

"It's Wednesday right?" Ethan asked

"Yeah, so tomorrow we have the combat class in the afternoon." Ren said

"Oh boy, I wonder who'll fight." Ethan told him

"My money's on you and Blake." Ren told him

They arrived at their room and opened the door. Team BNRV's door was open a crack as Blaire watched them enter their room. She closed the door and leant up against the door.

"Not you too." Rosaria said to her

"He's so cute! But I already told Pyrrha I would help her." Blaire said throwing her hands up in the air "Damn feelings."

Velvet laughed and pulled out a sheet of paper.

"Plan Hook Blaire Up With Ethan is in action ladies. Let's start." Velvet said

Meanwhile, Team BERP were discussing recent attacks in the forest near the school. Monsters and Bandits were roaming the forest, which made for good fighting practice when the students needed it.

"Someone should clear them out." Blake said from her bed

"But who would go and kill them?" Pyrrha asked from her bed too

Ren and Ethan were playing a card game at the table they brought in.

"Eat it!" Ethan said slamming a card on the table "You just lost your defense boost."

"Or did I?" Ren asked him revealing his own card "Plus 40 defense boost when the opponent plays a cancellation card."

Ethan smacked his head against the table as he admitted defeat.

"I lose every time." Ethan said

"You just get bad hands." Ren said packing up the game and throwing it on his bed

"Are two done playing so we can talk about the matter in the forest?" Blake shot at them

"Yeah, we'll go first thing Friday night." Ethan said "We'll split up and each take a region of the forest."

"No way, we go in teams of two." Blake argued

"Fine then." Ethan said as he climbed into bed

"Are you going to change Ethan?" Blake asked throwing him his pajama pants

He got out of bed and put them on, then removed his shirt and got back into his bed. Ren and Ethan fell asleep. Leaving Blake and Pyrrha still awake.

"Why didn't he argue back?" Pyrrha asked Blake

"He's tired. It's not everyday you get dark magic sucked out of you." Blake said "Get some rest, we have a combat class tomorrow."

The two ladies fell asleep not knowing the plan that was being hatched across the hall.

"It's perfect!" Velvet said as they stepped back to look at the plan

"This is bound to work." Rosaria said "So now it's a three way duel for Ethan's heart."

"Sounds perfect." Blaire said "Let's rest up ladies. We begin the operation tomorrow."

Ethan and Ren sat in the back of the class with the rest of their team. Team BNRV was sitting in front of them as Professor Goodwitch went on to describe the use of the stage.

"So today we will have a you fight against each other. Due to them already fighting, Lady Rosaria and Mr. Belladonna won't be fighting each other. Instead we will have the brother and sister duel it out." Goodwitch told them

Blake and Ethan looked at each other before heading down, huge smiles across their faces. They got up on the stage and stood at opposite ends.

"Miss Goodwitch," Ethan said "we will be using the Belladonna family rules for this duel if that's alright."

"Just don't kill each other or blow up the school." She said leaving the stage

Blake transformed her weapon into her tec-9, Ethan activated Cross Tail and the two stared at each other before moving. Ethan started by sprinting at his sister, she fired at him but he was moving left and right to dodge the bullets. He got close to her and went to kick her legs out, but she jumped and kicked him across the stage instead. She landed and transformed her weapon into a katana before rushing Ethan. He threw his wires at her, she cut them down and kept moving. Ethan jumped and brought his foot down on Blake's head. She moved back and grabbed his leg, she went to throw him across the stage when she felt herself get pulled up into the ceiling. She cut the wires and landed on her feet, just like cats always do. Ethan used his wires to make a sword, Blake knew that he was out because the sword matched hers. He ran at her, and she blocked his attack. He jumped back and landed on one knee, Blake looked at him before running at him. He rolled to the side and moved his sword next to her throat. Blake saw this and kicked him into a wall, he landed on the wall with his feet and pushed himself off at her. She blocked the attack and saw him land behind her. His sword broke and he pulled his spool out, seeing it was empty yet again. He threw it to Ren, and nodded. Ethan spun around and faced his sister, he flicked his arms and two pistols emerged from his sleeves. He held the triggers with his pinkies and aimed them at Blake. She looked in surprise before he pulled the triggers. She blocked the blasts and waited for the smoke to clear. He emerged from the smoke and fired at her. She rolled to the side and kicked him away. He landed on his feet back where he was and put the pistols away. Blake looked at him and saw something change about him, he removed his jacket and tossed it aside. He brought his pistols back out and Blake saw his eye color change to red. He rushed her and she blocked his attack, before receiving a blast from his gun next to her. She was sent flying back and Ethan stood there looking at her. He raised his pistol and clicked, but nothing came out. He sighed and tossed them back to Ren, who caught them and put them next to Cross Tail. Blake pushed herself up and wondered what her brother had in store for her next. He set up his right hand as if he was going to draw a sword from his thigh. He moved his hand in the motion and a sword appeared. His lower right arm became armored as he held the sword. It curved towards the top, and had a hand guard that went down half the handle. A red gem was sitting at the hilt of the sword. He raised the sword at Blake and a red aura surrounded him. Blake became scared as he rushed her, she blocked his attack and was kicked back. She looked up and saw him coming in from the air. She rolled to the side and kicked his stomach. He didn't flinch and Blake's eyes went wide with shock. He pulled his sword out of the ground and the red aura disappeared along with the sword and gauntlet. Ethan collapsed onto his knees, panting and covered in sweat.

"Ethan…" Blake said looking at him

He stood up and threw a smoke bomb onto the ground. The smoke cleared and he was gone. Blake stood up and looked around for him, he was gone and she had no idea where.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 32

Ethan walked through the forest as he remembered what happened. The memory came into his head and he clutched his head in pain. He fell onto his knees and screamed in pain. It went away and he stood back up. A group of bandits had heard him scream and were approaching. Ethan heard them and drew Hell's Blade. That was what he heard his Uncle Ren call the blade. The thought of that brought back the memory of Ethan drawing it as a child and creating a fire that ultimately claimed his uncle's life in the end. His eye color changed to Red as the bandits attacked him. Ethan smiled a cruel smile and attacked back.

Blake sat in their room holding Cross Tail in her hands. Her brother was out somewhere alone and she couldn't do anything to find him since the incident two days ago. She put Cross Tail down as Ren and Pyrrha entered the room.

"Anything?" Blake asked them

"Blaire's team said they heard screaming coming from the forest. By the time they arrived at the source they found dead bandits." Ren said "I'm going back out to help them search. See you guys later."

He left the room and Pyrrha sat next to Blake at the table. Blake drank her tea and stared at her empty mug.

"Do you blame yourself for what happened yesterday?" Pyrrha asked removing her spear and shield from her back and putting it next to her

"Our rules for fighting are to not let the other win no matter what. I guess he accidentally unlocked a skill he tried to keep locked." Blake said as she refilled her tea

"Well if I know Team BNRV and Ren, they won't stop until they find him." Pyrrha yawned

"You should get some rest. You've been searching all day." Blake told her

Pyrrha laid down on Ethan's bed and fell asleep shortly after. Blake was messing with her ring when she saw it glow a faint red. She stood up and followed the path until was bright red, she looked around and noticed she was on the roof. Ethan stood at the edge, Hell's Blade activated.

"Ethan?" Blake hesitantly asked

"I'm still here." He shakily said

"Then face me." She told him getting closer

"I can't Blake. This blade is a skill I wanted to never have to use again." He told her "It's consuming me. I don't know how to stop it."

She stepped closer and his grip on his blade tightened.

"Don't come any closer Blake, I don't trust myself right now. The blade wants to kill you, but I'm managing to restrict it." He said turning his head to talk to her

Blake saw the fire in his eyes and the marks on his face, the blade really was consuming him.

"We can help you Ethan. Just come back with me please." Blake pleaded

He turned around to face her and the red aura came back. Blake stepped back and fell. He closed his eyes and opened them again, this time she saw his normal eyes. He was crying as he raised the blade to point at her.

"Run Blake!" He told her

She got up and stood her ground.

"I'm not running Ethan. You are my brother and I'll be damned if I'm going to let anything happen to you." She said

His eyes changed back to the fire, and he ran at her. Blake closed her eyes and he raised the blade and brought it down. Blake felt something touch her skin, she opened her eyes to see the blade touching her neck. Ethan looked at her, his normal eyes back.

"Run, please." He told her

She stepped back until she was inside, Ethan stood there the whole time watching her. She was crying at the thought of something bad happening to her little brother. She collapsed onto her knees and covered her face with her hands.

"The only to way to end this Blake is to kill me." Ethan told her as he jumped off the roof

Blake returned to her room an hour later to see Ren and Blaire talking about area's they've already searched.

"We already cleared the eastern area, what about the western?" Blaire asked

"Nora and I checked it out yesterday. Nothing." Ren told her

They noticed Blake and Ren caught her as she passed out. He laid her down on Ethan's bed and put a blanket over her.

"This is taxing all of us. We need to rest for a bit. Resume the search in a day or two." Ren told her

"But he's out there and he could be gone by the time we are fully rested. We need to keep looking." Blaire said "What would you do if it was your little brother?"

Ren straightened his back and turned around to face Blaire. She saw she hit a nerve and had her hand ready to grab her weapon located on her lower back.

"My little brother was killed in an attack. The Red Rose planted a bomb in his room while he was healing from an attack the night before. Ethan and I wiped out all of the Red Rose as payback. This is different, I know Ethan. He wouldn't leave this area. He wants one of us to find him, and I think I know where." He said putting a hand on her shoulder "Trust me when I say this. We rest tonight, and we'll go out first thing tomorrow morning."

"I'm sorry." Blaire said hugging him "I just want to find him really bad."

"Love has claimed yet another victim." Ren laughed

"What's that supposed to mean?" Blaire blushed as she pushed herself off of him and looked at him

"It means you, Pyrrha, and Rosaria are all in love with Ethan. That's why you three are working so hard to find him." Ren said

"You aren't going to tell him about me are you?" Blaire asked

"I won't. I think it'll come as a surprise for him." He told her "Tell Pyrrha and the others to get back here. We'll resume the search tomorrow."

Blaire left and Ren walked over to the window between the two bunk beds. He looked out into the forest located around the school, luckily the school was on a flatland at the top. The students had to go down into the forest. Ren looked into the forest and saw sparks, followed by rustling in the trees. Ethan had encountered bandits and was making quick work of them. He laid down on his bed and closed his eyes.

" _Where are you Ethan."_ Ren said in his mind as he went to sleep

Pyrrha entered their room to find the remaining members of her team asleep. She dropped her weapons next to her dresser and changed into her sleepwear. For Pyrrha her sleepwear consisted of a red hoodie and yellow sweatpants for tonight. She undid her ponytail and let her hair fall down. Her hair was long enough to where it went halfway down her back. She walked to the roof and sat on the ground. She looked up at the moon, it shone on her and she smiled.

"You really should rest." She heard from behind her

She looked around and couldn't find anyone.

"You won't be able to find me there Pyrrha." She heard again "I'm in the forest."

She got up to go, but they spoke again.

"You won't make it to where I am alone. You need the rest of the team." They told her

She sat back down and looked out into the forest.

"Where are you Ethan?" She asked

A flash was seen in the forest, as an answer to her question.

"I need you to do something for me. Lead the group to where I just showed you. You'll find me near there. There's only one way to end the effects of the blade. You have to kill me Pyrrha." He told her

"I'm not going to." She said hugging her knees

"Pyrrha," He said "Do you trust me?"

"I do, yes." She responded

"Then tomorrow I need you to kill me and trust me on this. I know what I'm doing." They said as their voice faded out

Pyrrha closed her eyes and fell asleep on the roof. She heard footsteps behind her and smiled knowing he was there.

She woke up in her bed the next morning. She climbed out of bed and changed into her gear. She picked up her spear and shield. Ren walked in with Blake, both already changed and armed.

"You ready?" Blake asked her

"Yes, and I know exactly where to go." She told them

Both teams left the school and walked to the location Pyrrha told them about. She led the way while the others watched their backs.

"I have a feeling we're being watched." Velvet said as she twirled her sword in her hands

"That's because we are being watched." Ren said looking up into the trees

Nora heard something move in the tree, and she swore she saw red.

"I think I just saw someone move in the tree." Nora said tightening her grip on her weapon Magnhild

"Don't do anything rash Nora. We are the ones at risk here." Ren told her

Blaire and Rosaria were travelling in the middle of the group and both had their weapons out ready for a fight. Blake and Pyrrha led while Ren, Nora, and Velvet took the back.

They reached the clearing and saw someone standing there. They had black wings and a red aura around them. Hell's Blade was at their side as they turned around. Ethan stood before them and they made a line to look at him.

"Nice to see you guys again." He said in a deep voice

"We're here to take you back Ethan." Nora said

"Oh but that is too late my dear Nora." Ethan said lifting her up with his left hand

"Put her down Ethan!" Blake said

Ethan looked at her and dropped Nora. Ren was at her side and checked her status.

"She's just knocked out. This isn't Ethan anymore guys." Ren said aiming his pistols at him

"You are so right Ren." Ethan said blasting him with a fireball

Ren was sent flying back into a tree. Blaire and Rosaria looked at each other and nodded. Rosaria loaded her bow and sent an arrow flying at Ethan. He raised his hand and stopped it mid air, Blaire was coming down on him from the air. He redirected the arrow and it hit her. She fell and Ethan caught her mid air. He landed and laid her down on the ground. Rosaria saw him whisper sorry to her as he stood back up and looked at Blaire. Velvet kicked Ethan into a tree and went to stab him, but her sword bounced off. Ethan shot her back and into Rosaria. Blake and Pyrrha remained as they looked at him. Blake collapsed to her knees as he approached her. Ethan put his hand on her shoulder and she passed out. Pyrrha readied her spear and shield for battle. Ethan charged her, she blocked using her shield. He hit her with his other hand, and threw her across the clearing. She stuck her spear in the ground to act as an anchor, causing her to land on her feet. She pulled it back out and blocked another attack from Ethan. She kicked him back and he fell onto one knee.

"Pyrrha, do it now." Ethan told her "Please, before the blade truly takes over."

She closed her eyes.

"Do you trust me?" He asked her

"I do." She said opening her eyes and throwing her spear at him

Her spear was lodged in his chest as she saw the evil leave him. The blade orb changed to green, and the wings disappeared. He appeared to be normal then the sword and gauntlet shattered. What was left behind was a ring, a silver band with a green jewel on top. The ring floated up and placed itself on her finger. Her spear naturally left his body and his wound closed up.

"My mom always said love hurts." Ethan laughed before passing out

Pyrrha walked over and held him as she felt for a pulse but heard none.

"Ethan?" She asked

She put her ear up to his chest. She heard a faint heartbeat. She smiled and held him closer to her body. Tears of happiness ran down her face as she had fixed what was wrong with him. Blake had woken up and saw the two of them. The others woke up too and looked at Pyrrha holding Ethan. Ren walked over to Blaire and helped her walk back. The others slowly left, until Blake, Pyrrha, and Ethan remained.

"You're going to be ok." Pyrrha whispered to Ethan "You'll be fine."

Blake smiled as she saw the two. Pyrrha deeply cared for Ethan. It was at this time that a plan hatched in Blake's head.

" _Operation Get The Two Lovebirds Together will take action."_ Blake said in her head

Ethan woke up feeling sore. He looked over and saw Blaire sleeping in Ren's bed. He then felt someone stir next to him, he looked over and saw his sister. He smiled then climbed out of bed. He looked at the clock and it read 7:45. He was still wearing his jeans and gray t-shirt from the day before. He vaguely remembered what had happened after he woke up in Team BNRV's room an hour after it happened, so Nora decided to fill him on how he kicked all their asses and then Pyrrha stabbed him. He shook his head and grabbed his grandfathers coat. He put it on and walked out into the hall on onto the roof. He saw a familiar red head sitting their in her sleep attire.

"Mind if I join you?" He asked her

"Sure, I'd love the company." Pyrrha smiled at him

He sat next to her and she put her head on his shoulder.

"So you stabbed me." He said slightly laughing

"You told me to." She told him

"I'm sure I did." He told her "So how did it feel?"

"How did what feel?" She asked him

"Killing another human being. That was your first time, even though I'm still alive." He told her as he looked out into the distance

"I hated it, I don't know how you assassins do it." She said hugging his arm

"I hate it too." He said "But the difference between me and a murderer is that I did it to protect the people I hold dear to me. That is what Night Raid hopes to accomplish. Rid the world of evil."

"I guess that's a good goal." She said "You do realize today is Friday right?"

"That means I get to spend my weekend defending myself from students." He told her

She laughed and he did too. The thought of anyone trying to sneak up Ethan was funny.

"Are you taking anyone to the dance tomorrow night?" Pyrrha asked

"I didn't plan on going. I was going to go to the library and find out more on Hell's Blade." Ethan told her "But I might ask Blaire. I do owe her for saving my life with that dark magic."

Pyrrha's expression changed upon hearing that and she felt a tear go down her face. Ethan wiped it and looked at her.

"I was messing with you. I wasn't going to ask Blaire." He told her

She pushed him and crossed her arms.

"Jerk." She told him

He stood up and offered her his hand. She took it and he helped her up.

"I'm still not going," He said leaving "but I'll help you find a date."

Ethan sat in their history class listening to the professor talk about one his many tales from when he was younger. Ren was sitting next to Ethan and the two struck up a conversation.

"So you taking Nora to the dance?" Ethan asked him

"I may or may not have been forced into it by her teammates. Plus Blake, she has a really strong arm." Ren laughed

"Trust me when I say never arm wrestle against her. I lost even using Cross Tail to help me." Ethan told him

"You taking Pyrrha?" Ren asked

"No, I was going to spend the day at the library reading up on Hell's Blade." Ethan said

Ren smacked his friend on the head.

"What the hell was that for?" Ethan asked

"You're being a dumbass. Pyrrha is falling head over heels for you and you can't see it." Ren told him

"I can see it. But I told you, she deserves better than an assassin." Ethan told him

Ren sighed and looked at Blake, who was sitting next to Nora. She looked at him and he nodded no.

"Damn it." Blake said

"What's wrong?" Nora asked her

"Ethan still won't take Pyrrha to the dance. Ren and I had a whole plan set up and now it's not working." Blake said hitting her head against the desk

"Well, uh, I don't know how to say this. But…" Nora said before being cut off

"Spit it out Nora." Blake told her

"Blaire and Rosaria are both asking Ethan at different times today." Nora said

Blake looked over to see Blaire and Rosaria talking. They saw her staring at them and they looked scared.

"This whole plan is going downhill." Blake said with her head on her desk

The bell rang and the class was dismissed. Ethan left for the library and Blaire followed him.

Ethan walked into the library and turned right. Blaire followed him but then couldn't find him. She walked further down the row of bookshelves when she felt herself become trapped. Ethan was leaning up against a pillar to her left, holding his wires with his right hand.

"Why are you following me Blaire?" He asked letting her go and retracting his wires

"I wanted to ask you something." She said

"Alright. What is it?" He asked her deactivating Cross Tail

"I was wondering if you wanted to go to the dance with me on saturday?" She asked him

"I would love too, but I have an engagement ahead of time. Sorry Blaire." He said leaving and running into Nora

"Nora?" He asked as she dragged him to the back of the library

She sat him down on a chair and glared at him.

"You are going to the dance and that's final." Nora told him

"Nora…" Ethan started

"No, listen here. You have three very beautiful women going after you. Your heart is already set on one of them. Now you need to put everything aside and be with her. I don't care what you say, what does your heart say." Nora told him

"My heart says go for it." Ethan said quietly

"Then there's your answer." Nora said picking him up and hugging him "Now go get her tiger."

She set Ethan down and left the library. He remained standing there before he noticed a book on the shelf. He walked over to it and read the spine.

"Ancient weapons." Ethan said to himself as he grabbed the book off the shelf

He sat down in the chair and flipped through the pages until he saw a Chapter labeled _Hell's Blade_. Ethan began reading the Chapter intently, he didn't notice someone walk up to him.

"What are you doing here so late Ethan?" Ozpin asked

Ethan looked up and looked around, he was the only one in the library. He looked out the window and saw the moon in the sky.

"I'm sorry Professor, I guess I got to distracted with reading. I'll head back to my room." He said standing up

"I never said you had to leave my boy." Ozpin said pulling up a chair "Are you reading up on Hell's Blade?"

"I am yeah, I would like to have known more info on why it affected me the way it did." Ethan responded

"The blade kept its true self hidden from you. It waited for you to be vulnerable when using it, the dark magic that was in your body fueled it for a while. When you were constantly killing people as an assassin, the blade used your bloodlust to fuel it. When we removed the dark magic, it must have triggered the bloodlust using its stores of energy it had consumed. That is why it presented itself during your match with your sister." Ozpin told him

Ethan closed the book and noticed another one as he put it back. He pulled the book out and looked at the cover.

"The tale of Excalibur. A great read." Ozpin said "I would recommend you go on an adventure during break. You would be interested in meeting the wielder of the blade."

"They're still alive?" Ethan asked turning around to face him

"Not anymore no, but come see after the last day." Ozpin said leaving the library

Ethan put the book back and began his walk back to his room, he was walking through the library when he saw Pyrrha reaching for a book on the higher shelf. Ethan used his wires to grab the book and bring to him. She turned around to see him read the title.

"Romeo and Juliet." He read "I didn't know you liked Shakespeare."

"I read it from time to time." She said as he handed her the book

"We should head back, it's almost after hours and we don't want to get in trouble." He said leading her out of the library

They walked back to their room while talking about Shakespeare and his plays. They talked about their favorite plays and poems. Ethan arrived at their room and went to open the door, except it wouldn't open.

"Ok Ren, open the door." Ethan said

They heard no response. Ethan sighed and activated Cross Tail, he then used his wires to form a lockpick set. He knelt down and began to pick the lock.

"You do know how to pick a lock right?" Pyrrha teased

"I do yeah. Except this lock is harder than your standard lock." He told her "But, voila!"

A click was heard and Ethan retracted his wires back into his spool. He opened the door but found the room was empty. Pyrrha followed him in and she saw her dress hung up at the base of her bed.

"Blake?" Ethan asked walking throughout the room "I guess the room is empty."

He heard movement above him, he activated Cross Tail and threw his wires at the people above him. Ren and Blake fell from the ceiling and onto the floor.

"So close!" Ren said

"I'm a master dude. Good luck." He said looking at the two

He felt something close to his back, he spun and pushed Pyrrha's spear up into the air.

"Not tonight." He said laughing

He helped Blake up and walked over to his bed. He grabbed his pajama pants and entered the bathroom. He changed and exited the bathroom to find everyone else changed. Ren was already in his bed when Ethan saw him. Blake was combing her hair using her portable mirror currently hanging from the ceiling, and Pyrrha was looking at the knife she found on her bed. She looked at Ethan and he looked back at her.

"You didn't have to." She said to him

"I felt like it, looks like you got two gifts from me now." He said tapping his ring finger as she looked at hers

"I guess I do." She said crawling into her bed and falling asleep.

Ethan got into his bed and closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to overtake him.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 33

Ethan sat in the library reading the book on excalibur. He was sitting at one of the many tables sitting in the library. A cup of coffee was sitting next to him as he read. He heard someone enter the library and he looked over to see Blaire enter. She saw him and walked over to him.

"Shouldn't you be preparing for the dance?" He asked her

"I should be yeah, but I wanted to come check on you. How are you holding up?" She said sitting opposite from him

He put the book down and looked at her.

"I've been pretty tired since the whole Hell's Blade incident. I'm terribly sorry I shot you with one of Rosaria's arrows." He apologized

"It's fine. You weren't yourself." She smiled at him

He returned her smile and took a sip of his coffee.

"Want a cup?" He asked her

"No thanks." She said "I can't stay long. Blake is expecting me back at the room soon."

"Well I won't keep you any longer. Have fun tonight." He said as she left

She stopped and turned around to face him.

"She's still available. Go for it while you can." Blaire said before she ran out of the library

Ethan looked at his cup of coffee and noticed Ren behind him. Ethan sighed and pushed his chair back into him, he stood up and looked at Ren.

"Morning buddy." He told Ren

"Morning." Ren coughed as he held his groin area

Ethan laughed at the thought of him hitting Ren in the balls. He left to refill his coffee and saw Ren fall over in pain. He picked up the pot and poured himself more coffee. He turned to see Ren walk up to him.

"Sorry about that." Ethan said

"It's alright. It's my fault for standing that close to you." Ren said

"So, you and Nora are going to the dance. Keep it pg-13 my friend." Ethan said patting his friend on the shoulder

"I can see the resemblance between you and Blake now." Ren laughed

Ethan laughed and went back to his spot at the table. He sat the cup down and then sat down too. Ren followed him and sat next to him.

"Why are you here?" Ren asked him

"What could you possibly mean Ren?" Ethan said sarcastically

"Just go ask her for god's sake." He responded

Ethan sighed and looked at his friend.

"I'm not discussing this again with you." Ethan said before returning to his book

"Well then, change of topic. We have our first mission." Ren said pulling out a usb and handing it to him

"Thanks, I'll read over the mission details tonight." Ethan said

Ren got up and left, looking at his friend one last time before leaving the library.

Ethan saw him leave and closed his book, he looked at the clock and read the time, 2:30. The dance started at 7, which meant he had some time to kill.

Pyrrha was in Team BNRV's room having her hair done when they heard a knock on the door. Velvet stood up and and walked over to the door, Ren stood there and walked in.

"He won't bite." Ren told them "I don't know what his plan is."

"Aren't you two friends?" Blaire asked him

"Yeah, but there are some things he doesn't tell me." Ren told her

"Well, let's make miss Pyrrha here look gorgeous for tonight." Nora said

"We'll come get you later Ren." Blake said

He left the room and saw Ethan leaving their room. He was wearing his grandfather's coat and his usual outfit of a gray shirt and blue jeans. Ren closed the door as he closed his. Ethan started walking away.

"Where are you going?" Ren asked him

"We have some business we got to take care of in town. We'll be back by tonight." Ethan said over his shoulder

Ren opened their door and stuck his head in.

"He's leaving for town." He said

"Oh no he doesn't." Blake said getting up and leaving "Blaire cover for me."

She ran down the hall until she caught up with Ethan. He stopped and turned around to face her.

"What are you doing Ethan?" Blake asked him

"Like I said, taking care of business." He told her

"What business do you have in town?" She asked

Ethan tossed her his phone and she looked at it then looked up at him.

"You got an order?" Blake asked in disbelief

"Death wants it done. And quietly too. So they're sending me in, also because I'm the closest." He told her turning around

"But that's a dangerous mission." She said

"I have backup." Ethan told her "They're on their way now."

Ren walked up with his green trench coat on.

"We'll see you soon Blake." Ren said as they left

Blake returned to their room and closed the door. She leaned her back up against it and slid down the door.

"Blake?" Rosaria asked "What's wrong?"

"They have a mission." She muttered under her breath

"What?" Blaire asked

"They have a mission." Blake said louder

Ren and Ethan walked up the the abandoned warehouse. Ethan checked the time, 3:00.

"We're right on time." He said making his pistols appear

Ren made his appear too, together they walked into the warehouse and began the hunt for their targets. Ethan was moving along the left, while Ren was moving along the right. They would come across guards, but they were quickly killed and hidden. Ethan saw the merchant and his associates standing in the center of the building. Ethan hid behind a box and saw Ren do the same. Ren counted down from three and they emerged. The merchants were caught off guard as the two popped out and opened fire. They were quickly killed, and the two assassins hid back into the shadows. Ethan and Ren began making their escape, killing any guard who got in their way. They emerged into the outside and saw a car pull up. Ethan aimed his pistols at the car and fired, killing the driver and all the passengers. Ren noticed their escape path was clear, they ran over and jumped through the fence they had to cut to get into the area. They hid in some bushes and waited for the guards to run pass, the last two guards were pulled into the bushes and killed. Ethan rolled into the bushes on the other side of the path. Ren and Ethan made their way undetected to the town. They hid their pistols in their sleeves and walked to the airship pad. Ethan pulled his phone out and called Ozpin, who happened to be a Night Raid associate.

"We need exfil. We're at the pad." Ethan said then hung up

They sat on a bench and waited for the airship to come. It arrived and they walked on board. Taking their seats they bumped fists at another job well done.

Ren knocked on Team BNRV's door. Nora opened the door in her pink poofy dress and saw Ren in his tuxedo.

"You look handsome Ren." She told him

"As do you Nora." He replied

"Guys, Ren and I are leaving now." She said closing the door and taking Ren's arm

Blake was in her room and put on her mother's necklace. She put her hand up against it and closed her eyes, remembering her mom and what she should say to Blake.

"You look beautiful Blake." She heard from behind her

Turning around she saw Ethan standing in the doorway. Blake had a Black skirt on with a white half sleeve blouse.

"Thanks Ethan." She smiled "I take it you're not going tonight?"

"Fret not my dear sister. For I am full of surprises." He said looking at her

"Ethan, why is your arm bleeding?" She asked pointing to his arm

He looked at his coat and saw the blood.

"Well it appears I have been shot, luckily it just grazed my arm." He said removing his coat and his shirt

He walked into the bathroom and cleaned the wound, then used Cross Tail to sew it up. He walked back out and saw that Blake was still there.

"Go have fun." He said shooing her

"I will. See you soon." She said laughing and leaving the room

She saw the other girls leave Team BNRV's room. They walked to the dance as a group. The dance was held a building that Ozpin had built for dances and other activities. It had three floors to it. But the first floor was where the party was at, the building had a snack bar, and a DJ for dancing. The 3rd floor was off limits, and the 2nd floor was mainly just a balcony overlooking the first floor, but on the 2nd floor was a balcony that looked out over the courtyard.

The girls entered the dance and saw Ren and Nora dancing on the dance floor. Blaire had a white silk gown on, and Rosaria had an elven gown her parents had sent her. The two entered the dance floor and began dancing with their friends. Blake and Velvet looked over at Pyrrha, she was looking around the dance floor and balcony.

"Don't worry Pyrrha, he'll come." Blake said as she and Velvet left for the snack bar

Pyrrha danced with friends for a while, before deciding to get some air. She walked up the stairs and made her way to the outside balcony. She leant up against the railing and admired the moonlight.

"I'm surprised not a single guy here has fallen for you." She heard from behind her

She looked around to see Ethan wearing a black suit with a red tie. He walked up to her and handed her a drink.

"I thought you weren't coming." She smiled accepting the drink

"I'm full of surprises my dear Pyrrha." He told her

"So I take it this is your way of trying to send some message?" She asked

"Nope, tonight I am yours. I've been making the mistake of letting a beautiful women go unnoticed. So tonight you're going to get noticed." He told her

Pyrrha blushed and put her drink on the railing. She hugged him and he hugged her back, putting his drink on the railing.

"I'm glad you came." She said

He broke apart and stepped back.

"Shall we dance?" He asked extending his hand

She took it and they walked to the dance floor. They arrived just in time as the DJ played a slow song. Ethan and Pyrrha joined the other couples on the dance floor. She rested her head on his shoulder as they danced. Ren and Nora were dancing when they passed them.

"Did you see them?" Nora whispered

"Yes, good for them." Ren whispered back looking at Nora

Time slowed down for Ren and Nora as their faces got closer to each other. Eventually they kissed. Ethan pointed it out and Pyrrha laughed as they continued to dance. Blake saw Pyrrha's head on someone's shoulder, she was going to confront them but when they turned she saw it was Ethan.

"That sneaky bastard." Blake smiled

"I guess we lost to Pyrrha." Rosaria told Blaire

"We lost a long time ago." Blaire told her

Together Pyrrha and Ethan danced, until the dance was over. They walked back to their room, arm in arm. Ethan took a side tour though and took her to his favorite spot in the campus. They arrived at the campus garden. A fountain was in the middle, and rows of flower beds lined the sidewalks.

"This is beautiful Ethan." She said

"Well I figured a beautiful women should know beauty when she sees it. I just always that this as ok." He said

She nudged his rib with her elbow and laughed. Ethan had no idea what his brain was thinking to do what he did next. He moved Pyrrha's head and kissed her. He broke the kiss and just stared at her.

"Um, I can explain?" He said

She laughed and kissed him again. He pulled her into a hug and kissed her back.

Blake saw this from their window and ran across the hall into Team BNRV's room. Ren and Nora were on her bed while the others were talking.

"They kissed!" Blake said as she walked in

Everyone in the room cheered for their friends. Ethan and Pyrrha heard the commotion from the other team's room as they were walking back. They walked in and were greeted by applause.

"I think I'll be back in my room. You can handle this right?" Ethan told Pyrrha as he ducked out and into his own room

"I'll go talk to him." Ren said leaving and following his team leader

Ren walked in to see Ethan going over the mission details.

"You left to do this?" Ren sighed

"I said I would read them tonight." Ethan told him "We can do this. It's a simple search and seizure mission."

"How many teams?" Ren asked crossing his arms

"Just one. We can do this easily. We get in, grab the flight recorder, we get out." Ethan said standing up from the table

"Alright then. I trust you. We'll play it safe though." Ren said

"Yeah, I won't." Ethan told him

"You have a girlfriend now. She kind off wants you alive in one piece." Ren told him

"I got this. Trust me." Ethan said leaving to get Blake and Pyrrha

Ren viewed the laptop that Ethan viewed the files on.

"What's on the flight recorder though?" Ren asked himself

The door opened and the rest of their team entered.

"So what's the mission?" Blake asked turning on the lights

"We are to receive a flight recorder from a downed airship. Should be simple enough. Pyrrha and I will lead while Blake and Ren take the rear. We'll swap out if we need to. Any questions?" Ethan said

"Nope. Sounds self explanatory." Blake said

"Good, let's rest up. We have a long day ahead of us." Ethan said as he pulled out his pajama pants and walked into the bathroom

He changed and walked back out as Ren walked in to change. They took turns changing until each team member was ready for sleep. Blake climbed into her bed and fell asleep. Ren did the same, which left Pyrrha and Ethan still standing.

"So are we doing same bed?" She asked

"We'll figure that out later." He said kissing her "For now sleep in your own bed."

She climbed into her bed and fell asleep. Ethan did the same but had a strange feeling about tomorrow.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 34

They sat in the airship as it flew over the forest. Their mission would be taking them outside Vale and to the outskirts of an abandoned city. The downed airship was somewhere in the city, and that's what their team had to find.

"I don't trust the city." Blake said "It's supposedly uninhabited."

"That means just bandits and possibly some raiders." Ren told her

"We can always parachute in." Ethan said turning around to face them "Instead of landing."

"Hell no." Blake said before looking over at Pyrrha "You alright?"

"I just have a bad feeling that something is going to happen." She told Blake

Shortly after a red spear came flying up from the forest and towards Ethan. He spun around and caught it. Ethan took a look at it then laughed.

"What's wrong?" Ren asked him

"I'll see you guys at the drop zone. Blake, you're in charge." He said before jumping out the back of the airship

They all just looked at what their leader did and just stared at where he was.

"Look's like you were right." Blake said to Pyrrha

Ethan landed on the ground still holding the spear. He looked up and saw a person with a white baseball jacket and jeans looking at him. His blonde hair moving with the wind as he walked over to Ethan.

"Sup Ethan." They said

"Ares? Why are you here?" Ethan asked him

"Ozpin sent me. After realizing the danger that was truly in the city he sent me here." Ares said extending a hand "Now can I have my spear back?"

Ethan handed him the spear and looked at him.

"What?" Ares asked

"Why would Ozpin send you. Last I checked we didn't fake your death for nothing." Ethan said leaning up against a tree

"Beats me. All I know is that there is an underlying evil in the city." Ares said

"You felt it too?" Ethan asked him

"Yeah. This whole place is full of it. Now, let's go meet up with the rest of your team." Ares said walking towards the drop zone

Ethan rolled his eyes and followed him. This was going to be unbearable for Ethan.

Pyrrha looked around as she got off the airship and saw two people waiting for them. She recognized Ethan sitting on a tree stump, but didn't recognize the second person. Ren and Blake followed her off the airship and saw the two before them. The pilot took off and told them to radio when they needed a lift back. Ren's eyes never left Ares, as the two had a bad history.

"Sup Ren." Ares said

"Why the hell are you here? Last time we worked together Nora was almost killed." Ren told him

"She lived though!" Ares said pointing at Ren

"Guys, would you two calm down?" Ethan said from the stump "Like or not we have to work together. Ozpin sent him here because the threat in the town got worse than just bandits and raiders. Monsters have been seen going in and making camp there."

He jumped off the stump and began his walk toward the city, Blake and Pyrrha not far behind him. Pyrrha walked up his side and looked at him.

"What's wrong?" Ethan asked her still looking forward

"I don't trust this city." She told him "And who is that guy?"

"That's Ares. He's a pain in the ass but a damn good fighter." Ethan told her

Blake appeared on his other side and would look back to see Ares and Ren arguing.

"Why do they bicker so much?" Ethan asked

"They were both in love with Nora last year. Then around the time of winter break, Ares started receiving solo missions. He got jealous of Ren for getting to spend time with her. So on group missions he would always try outlandish plans to get her attention." Blake told him "They should be fine in a couple minutes and go back to being friends."

"One can hope." Ethan laughed

"The tournament's still going on right?" Pyrrha asked

"Yup, round 2 is tomorrow. I just can't wait for the doubles round after winter break." Ethan said "That means I need a partner."

"What about us?" Blake asked him

"Yeah, but we know Ren and Nora are going to team up. I figured Pyrrha and you would team up. I don't feel like asking anyone on Team BNRV. I might ask Ares if he wants to be my partner, we have similar fighting styles. I think I'll ask Ares." Ethan said

Blake smacked him upside the head and laughed.

"Ouch?" He said

"We're here." They heard Ares say as they entered the city

They drew their weapons and walked to the next street. Ethan pulled out his phone and used it to guide them to the flight recorder. Ares saw the downed airship crashed in what appeared to be a high school. Ethan and Pyrrha approached it before realizing where they were.

"Ethan…" Pyrrha said looking at him

"We're home." He said "Or at least what's left of it."

He shook his head and kept moving forward.

"Pyrrha and Blake watch the outside. Ren, Ares and I will enter the school and obtain the flight recorder." Ethan said walking into the school

"Ren," Blake said stopping him "keep an eye on him."

Ren nodded and ran after Ares into the building.

Nora and Blaire were sitting in their room reading, when they heard a knock on the door. Blaire sighed and got up from her bed to answer it. Opening the door she saw a man with a red jacket and blue hair.

"Hey, have either of you guys seen Rosaria?" He asked them

"First off, who are you?" Blaire asked him

"I'm Neptune." He said putting his hand on his chest and bowing to her

"Neptune?" Nora asked jumping off her bed

"Oh no." He said as she hugged him and tackled him

"Where have you been?!" Nora exclaimed as she pinned him to the ground "I have so much to tell you!"

"Can you get off me?" He asked her

Nora climbed off of him and helped him stand. He moved a few feet away from her should she do anything else random.

"Why are you looking for Rosaria?" Nora asked

"She forgot her shirt at my room." He said before realizing what he just said "Wait, that came out wrong!"

Nora and Blaire both laughed. Nora collapsed onto the floor laughing, Blaire simply leant up against the door frame. Nora stood up and looked at Neptune, then she crossed her arms.

"Alright mister, explain the situation." Nora said

"So we were walking back from lunch when she tripped and landed in one of the fountains. After helping her out and covering her with my jacket, she asked if I had spare clothes she could borrow. So I led her back to my room and gave her some clothes of mine to wear, mainly just my spare pajamas. I waited outside as she changed and then she left. I swear that was it." He told them

"Well not all of it." Rosaria said from behind him "You forgot about the goodbye kiss."

"Rose!" He exclaimed

"Oh, Rosaria. We simply can't let you date such guys like these. Come inside and we will have a long talk about the guys you should date." Nora said slinging her arm around her and leading her inside their room

Blaire grabbed Rosaria's shirt from Neptune and closed the door. He sighed and walked back to his team's room. Talking to himself about how weird those girls are.

Rosaria sat on her bed. Nora and Blaire sitting opposite her.

"You like him?" Blaire exclaimed

"Kinda yeah." She replied

Nora sighed and looked at her.

"Be careful around him. We don't you to have your heart broken." Nora told her

"He's such a gentleman though. It's hard not to fall for him." Rosaria said flopping backwards onto her bed

Nora got up and walked over to her. Rosaria looked up at her. Nora smiled and became her normal self.

"That settles that. What do we want to spend the rest of the day doing?" Nora asked jumping on her bed

"Guys, there's a problem." Velvet said entering the room

"What's wrong?" Blaire asked her

"Team BERP's signal was lost upon entering an abandoned city. We've been called in." Velvet said as she picked up her sword

"I'm coming with you." Neptune said from the door "My teammate is also there, the rest of my team will help you out."

"Who is your team exactly?" Nora asked him "And have you been standing there the whole time?"

"We're Team Greece. We consist of Ares, Artemis, Mercury, and myself." He said as they all entered the room "And we always take care of our own."

Ethan grabbed the flight recorder from under the pilot's seat. He looked back to see Ren and Ares making a barricade. Blake and Pyrrha reported a horde of goblins coming towards them. Ethan jumped out of the cockpit and landed in the hallway. Blake and Pyrrha had made a makeshift path should they need to escape. The airship was crashed in the second floor, and the cockpit was facing down at them. This allowed for them to make a staircase should they need to escape. They can get onto the roof and defend their.

"How many ways can they get in from?" Ethan asked them

"Only this way. Luckily the wing fell off and blocked the other side of us." Ren said as he put a stone down on the barricade

"Does Beacon still receive our signal?" Blake asked "Maybe they can send help."

"They lost our signal an hour ago. Help should already be on its way." Ares said loading an assault rifle they found in the dropship

"We use guns to keep them at bay, if they get close switch to melee." Ethan said loading a magazine into a sniper rifle

Blake turned her weapon into her tec-9 and Pyrrha changed hers into it's rifle mode. They took up a spot behind the barricade and Ethan sat in the cockpit. They remained hidden as they heard the goblins enter the school yard. Ethan aimed down his scope and watched the staircase, that they would enter from. They heard the sounds get louder and a goblin entered the second floor using the staircase. A shot was heard and the goblin's head exploded. Ethan pulled the lever back and loaded another bullet into the chamber. The goblins downstairs heard this and started running up the stairs.

"Here they come." Ethan said as he fired again

The team popped up from the barricade and opened fire as the goblins poured onto the floor. They came in through the windows and the stairs. Most of them had swords, but a few had bows. Arrows whizzed by the team as they kept their stream of fire on the enemy.

"Reloading!" Ares yelled "Cover me!"

He put in a fresh magazine and popped back up from hiding. He popped up as an arrow landed in his shoulder. He pulled it out and continued to shoot the goblins. Ethan ran out of ammo and threw the sniper down on the ground, he jumped down and looked at Ares.

"Toss me the spear!" Ethan yelled over the gunfire

Ares nodded and tossed him his spear. Ethan twirled the spear and jumped over the barricade. He stood in front as his team stopped firing to watch him. A goblin ran up to him and he moved the spear with inhuman speed, cutting the goblin's head off. Ethan twirled the spear before dashing into the group of goblins running at him.

"Fall back!" Ren yelled as he saw the rest of the team panting

"But Ethan's still fighting." Pyrrha said shooting a goblin

"He'll be fine!" Ares said reloading his gun "But we need to get out of here!"

Ren stood up and received an arrow to the chest. He fell down and Blake caught him.

"Ren's hit!" She yelled

Ares moved over to her and pulled out the arrow. He then helped Blake drag him into the airship cockpit.

"Take him to the roof, I'll be there soon." He told her as an arrow pierced his leg, causing him to fall backwards

Pyrrha helped him up and she started to climb into the airship cockpit when she felt it move. She quickened her movements and made it to the roof.

"Where's Ares?" Blake asked her

Pyrrha ran back into the ship and saw him lying against the floor of the cockpit with two arrows sticking out his back. She pulled him up and dragged him through the rest of the ship, using her other hand to climb up. Blake grabbed his arms and pulled him up onto the roof. She pulled the arrows out and threw them away.

"We just need to wait for Ethan now." Blake said

Pyrrha stood up and climbed back down into the ship, she saw Ethan still fighting. He was cut up and had arrows sticking out of his arms and back. Ethan kicked the goblin in the leg and cut its head off. He spun the spear and stabbed another goblin. They kept coming at him, and he was managing to hold them off at first. Now he was fighting for his life as one wrong move would result in him getting killed. He felt a sword pierce his chest, and he spun around and killed the goblin. He slowly made his way back to the barricade and jumped back over. He saw Pyrrha and he fell onto his knees. He fell over and laid there motionless. Pyrrha was about to jump down when she heard Nora.

"You hurt my Ren!" She yelled smacking a group of goblins with her hammer

Neptune jumped over her and shot three goblins with his weapon. Mercury punched a goblin and sent it flying back into another.

"Artemis, you and Rosaria make it up to the roof. I have a feeling that's where they are." He said punching another goblin

The two archers ran through the goblin horde, shooting arrows and kicking them aside. They reached the barricade and Rosaria saw Ethan's body.

"Ethan!" She said checking his pulse "He's still alive!"

She pulled the sword out and saw Pyrrha in the airship. Artemis climbed up and made it to the roof. Rosaria threw Ethan into the cockpit and Pyrrha dragged him up to her. She made it inside the ship and helped Pyrrha get Ethan up to the roof. Artemis was sitting next to Ares when she saw Pyrrha.

"What happened?" Artemis asked moving her silver hair out her eyes and behind her ear

"A goblin horde ambushed us. We were lucky to have survived." Pyrrha replied

"Well, the pilot should be coming soon. Velvet and Blaire stayed on the ship incase it got attacked." Rosaria said

Mercury joined them on the roof, Artemis noticed the cuts across his body.

"We need to leave, and soon." He said passing out

She caught him and laid him next to Ares. Neptune and Nora joined the others on the roof, shortly after. Neptune turned around and shot into the airship. The goblins started to climb into the ship, but were stopped by Neptune.

"Where is the evac?" He asked them

A goblin shot an arrow and it grazed his cheek. Neptune turned back and shot it almost instantly.

"We need to get out of here!" Artemis said aiding Neptune

The airship for their evacuation was seen overhead and lowered itself so the ramp was touching the roof. Velvet and Blaire ran out and grabbed the wounded, Velvet grabbed Ren and Blaire grabbed Ares. Blake picked up Mercury and Pyrrha picked up Ethan. They ran inside the airship and strapped the wounded into the seats. Rosaria ran in and Artemis followed her in. Neptune slowly made his way in, he turned to run and a goblin made it up to the roof. He threw Ares's red spear at Neptune. It pierced Neptune as he made it into the ship. Artemis shot the goblin with an arrow and the ramp closed. Rosaria pulled the spear out and began chanting elvish magic to heal him. She saw the wound closing and heard him pass out.

"Did we at least get the flight recorder?" Blake asked

"I wouldn't have left it behind." Rosaria said lifting it up "I grabbed it after I threw Ethan into the ship."

Pyrrha sat next to Ethan the whole flight. She had his head on her shoulder and her arms wrapped around him. She and Blake both made mental notes to talk to Ozpin about the mission when they got back to Beacon.

Blake and Pyrrha both stood outside Professor Ozpin's office. They waited for Professor Goodwitch to leave before they entered, instead what happened was they were told to come in. Blake and Pyrrha stood in front of Ozpin's desk. He looked at the two girls before asking his question.

"How may I help you two ladies today?" He asked

"We were wondering why you would send our team single handedly on a mission that almost got us all killed." Pyrrha told him

Blake and Professor Goodwitch were amazed at how serious Pyrrha was.

"I did not anticipate the goblin horde to move that fast." Ozpin replied "That was why I sent Ares along, but clearly even him and Ethan combined were not a match against the horde."

"We're lucky the reinforcements got there when they did." Blake said "Any sooner and we might have been dead."

"We sent the signal to the other two teams as soon as we lost your signal. The pilot was given direct orders to take them straight there." Ozpin told them

"Also, when were you planning on telling us our hometown was destroyed?" Pyrrha asked him

"I only recently found out that your town was destroyed. It appeared to be the works of the goblin horde." He told her "I am truly sorry you had to find out this way. How is the rest of your team doing?"

"Ethan still hasn't woken up. Ren is being smothered by Nora. As for Team Greece," Blake told him "Artemis seems to be taking care of them very well. Blaire and Rosaria have been helping her."

"I figured letting them rest in their own rooms would be a good idea. It seems I was right." Ozpin said "Now if you ladies will excuse me, I am needed in the conference room."

Blake and Pyrrha left Ozpin's office, they then proceeded to walk back to their room. Pyrrha opened the door and saw Ethan sitting on his bed, his back to them. She looked at the bandage wrapped around his back, and he noticed them enter.

"You're finally up." Blake said hugging her brother

"I just woke up a few minutes ago. My chest hurts like hell." He said trying to stand but fell back down

Pyrrha decided to go get something to cheer him up. She left the room and walked down to the garden where they kissed after the dance. She saw a fox limping across the path and she knelt down to help it. She saw that it had needles stuck in it's paw. Pyrrha soothed the animal as she removed the needles. After removing the last one she pet the fox and it licked her face. Then the fox ran off down the hill and into the forest. She looked up and saw the moon shining down on her. Walking into the garden she saw an apple hanging from a tree. She reached up and pulled it down. Feeling like that would do the trick, she ran back to her room. Opening the door, Pyrrha saw Ethan sleeping on his bed. Blake pulled up a chair to watch him, but she too was asleep. Pyrrha smiled and put the apple on his dresser. She noticed Ren was gone and stuck her head into the room across the hall. Ren lay fast asleep in Nora's bed. But she was asleep in a chair holding his hand.

"Everything alright Pyrrha?" Velvet asked her from the hall

"Yeah, I was just checking up on Ren. Where are Blaire and Rosaria?" Pyrrha asked closing their door

"They've been staying at Team Greece's room. They really like those boys, it's somewhat scary." Velvet laughed "You should get some rest, we've all had rough days today."

Pyrrha wished her goodnight and walked into her own room. She changed into a red tank top and put gym shorts on instead of her usual hoodie and sweatpants. She climbed up into her bed and wrapped herself in the blanket. Closing her eyes she fell asleep, but only to be woken up due to a nightmare later.

 _Pyrrha stood on the arena floor, Ethan across from her. He produced Hell's Blade and pointed it at her. Pyrrha readied her spear and shield in response. He rushed her and she blocked his attack. In a quick swipe he knocked the shield out her hand. She lunged with her spear, but he caught it and pulled her toward him. He headbutted her and she landed on the ground. Tossing the spear aside Ethan raised his blade and brought it down._

Pyrrha shot up in her bed and looked around her body. She had no marks indicating that her dream was real. She noticed the ring glow and she looked at it. It pulsed three times then stopped. Pyrrha looked under her bed and saw Blake in Ethan's bed with her arm over him. His big sister was protecting him even in his sleep. Ethan found it annoying having to wake up to her in his bed on some nights. But it was only when he was badly hurt that she would do it. Pyrrha smiled then went back to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 35

Ethan woke up to something furry rubbing against his chest. He rolled over and expected to see Blake, but then saw a redhead with fox ears in his bed. He lifted up the blanket and saw a fox tail rubbing up against his chest. Ethan slowly got out of bed and stared at the redhead in his bed. He could have sworn Blake was in his bed last night. He walked out into the hall to see Blake and Ren walking towards him.  
"Maybe you should put a shirt on before a girl walks by." Blake laughed

"Did you guys notice a red head with fox ears in my bed last night?" Ethan asked them

"Oh yeah, thanks for kicking me out of the bed." Blake told him

"Wait, why are you asking about a redhead with fox ears?" Ren asked "Shouldn't you and Pyrrha be sharing a bed already?"

Nora stuck her head out at the perfect time.

"Last time Ren and I shared a bed we were together but not together together. This last time…" Nora said before she was cut off

"Nora!" Ren said pushing her back into her room and closing her door "Sorry about that."

"Why do you ask?" Blake asked eyeing him "Did you cheat on Pyrrha?"

"No, I would never do that!" Ethan exclaimed "I woke up and found a redhead with fox ears and a fox tail in my room. Somehow a faunus got into my bed and it wasn't Blake."

Blake opened the door and stuck her head into the room. She saw the girl in Ethan's bed and her jaw dropped. She closed the door and looked back at Ethan.

"Who is she?" Ethan asked her

"No clue. Go find out." Blake said opening the door as Ren shoved him inside and the held the door shut

Ethan sighed as he heard her yawn.

"Good morning." She said

He slowly turned around and her back was still turned to him. She got out of bed and started brushing her hair. Ethan noticed the ring on her finger and froze up. She looked at him and smiled.

"Pyrrha?" He asked her

"Yes sir." She said hopping over to him and kissing him "How are you this morning?"

"I'm alright." He told her "You are aware what you look like right?"

She gave him a quizzical look before walking into the bathroom and looking in the mirror. Ethan followed her and saw her facial expression change to shock. She reached her hand up and touched her ears, then noticed the tail she had grown overnight. Ethan wrapped his arms around her waist and put his head on her shoulder.

"I'm a fox." She said

"Yes you are. But I promise you that nothing has changed about your personality." He said as she put her hands on his "Ok, well maybe a little bit."

She looked at him in confusion.

"You may have gotten a bit more touchy." He told her "Which is a good thing, in a sense."

She kissed him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He kissed her back and the two remained locked until Blake opened the door and took a photo.

"Busted!" She said before closing the door

Ethan darted after her, trying to get the photo deleted. Ren entered and looked at Pyrrha. She waved and he walked over to her.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her

"Better than ever." Pyrrha responded "I could take on an army."

"We'll have to figure out what caused your transformation. Can you remember anything that might have done this?" Ren asked her

"A fox licked me last night, could that have been it?" She told him

"Maybe,." Ren said "but somehow a fox has fused some of it's DNA with yours."

Blake walked back into the room with Ethan attached to her back trying to reach her phone.

"Delete the photo!" He exclaimed

"Never." She said tapping a button "Prepare yourself Ethan."

He heard all the girls in the room across from them scream in joy.

"You suck!" Ethan said darting out of the room as the girls chased him

Blake laughed and showed Ren what she sent them. He laughed too, and Blake showed it to Pyrrha. She also couldn't hold her laughter as she looked at the photo. It was a photo of Ethan when he was a baby with a bowl of cheerios on his head. Blake stuck her head back out in the hallway to see Team BNRV tackle him to the ground. They all started making comments about how cute he is. Pyrrha heard these comments and walked out into the hall. She grabbed Ethan's arm and dragged him back into their room. Blake closed their door as Pyrrha put Ethan down in a chair. She sat on his lap and kissed him deeply.

"Umm Pyrrha?" Ren asked her

She gave him the one minute finger. After she finished her deep kiss, she looked over at Ren.

"Yes?" She asked

"You do realize we all live here right?" He told her

Her face turned red and she hid her face in Ethan's shoulder. He held her and laughed a bit.

"I forgot. I'm sorry." Pyrrha told them

"I guess this transformation made you a lot more affectionate for Ethan." Ren said "This'll prove interesting."

They heard Nora in the hallway outside.

"Open the door or else I'll smash it! Just like I did…" She said

"Nora!" Ren yelled through the door

They heard her laugh and Blake opened the door. All of team BNRV entered the room and looked at Pyrrha. She was still sitting on Ethan's lap, so Blaire pulled her phone out and took a photo.

"I hate you all." Ethan sighed as Blaire showed him the photo

Pyrrha moved off of Ethan and sat in the chair next to him. She held his hand while the other team looked at her.

"Yes, my girlfriend is now a fox." Ethan said "Any other questions?"

Nora raised her hand.

"Yes Nora?" Ethan asked her

"Have you two done it yet?" Nora bluntly asked

"Nora!" Ren exclaimed from his bed

"What, he said any other questions. So I had a question." She said

Velvet walked over and touched her ears.

"Fascinating." She said

"You sure do look foxy." Blaire said receiving a punch in the arm from Rosaria

Everyone laughed in the room before Pyrrha froze.

"Pyrrha?" Ethan asked her "What's wrong?"

"I need all new clothes." She said

"Shopping time!" Nora said grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the room

"Make sure your at class on time!" Ethan yelled after them

The other girls looked at him and he sighed.

"Go." He said as they all ran out of the room

"This'll be interesting to see what they get her." Ren said walking over to him "Also, Blaire and Rosaria couldn't take their eyes off you. Put a shirt on unless you want Pyrrha killing them."

"Well I do have that teacher meeting today." He said kicking Ren's pistol out of his hands "It's not even the weekend, why try?"

"I wanted to make an attempt." Ren sighed in defeat

Ethan laughed and walked over to his dresser, he pulled out his suit and laid it out on his bed. He grabbed his towel and a pair of underwear and gym shorts.

"I'm going to shower before I have to leave. I'll see you later tonight." Ethan said leaving the room

Ren sat down on his bed before getting up and leaving the room. He hid his pistols and walked to the library. Opening the door he walked to the back of the library, specifically the section on foxes. He found the book he was looking for and pulled it off the shelf. He sat down at a table and started reading the book.

"Doing some early morning reading Mr. Ren?" Ozpin asked him

"Yeah, we had this situation develop in our room and I wanted to see what I could find on it." Ren said as Ozpin sat across from him

"You mean the situation with Miss Nikos waking up a faunus." He told him

Ren looked up from the book and stared at Ozpin.

"I saw the girls running down the halls to get to the airship to take them to town. They said something about clothes shopping." Ozpin said

"Leave it up to them to make a scene." Ren said continuing his read

"I think you will find that Miss Nikos needs to unlock her powers for herself. No book will have the information you are looking for." Ozpin said getting up and leaving "Good day Mr. Ren."

Ren looked back down and closed the book. He put it back and walked back to his room, he looked at the clock and realized he had skipped breakfast. He arrived at his door to see Neptune standing outside Team BNRV's room.

"They aren't home." Ren said "They went clothes shopping with Pyrrha."

"Oh yeah, because she's a fox now." Neptune said as Ren shot him a look "Rosaria texted all of us."

Ren sighed and walked into his own room. Neptune followed him inside. They saw Ethan finish tying his tie and look at them.

"Morning guys." He said

"You preparing for class already?" Neptune asked "What are we learning tonight?"

"Oh fear not Mr. Neptune, you'll find out." Ethan said patting his shoulder and leaving

"I'm scared now." Neptune said

"We should be." Ren said pouring himself a cup of coffee

They only recently decided to bring home appliances into the room. Ren bought a coffee maker, Blake bought a mini fridge, Ethan bought a microwave, and Pyrrha bought food. They also got a griddle so they could make their own food if they were staying in for the night.

"Look's like you guys have fully moved in here." Neptune said picking up a pan

"Yeah, we tried to make the place a bit more like home. Also, Pyrrha has really insisted on cooking for us." Ren said sipping his coffee "Needless to say we stalling that for as long as possible."

Neptune laughed and poured himself a cup of coffee. He and Ren sat down at the table before resuming their conversation.

"So you and Rosaria." Ren said

"It's not what it looks like. We're just really good friends, who kinda like each other." He said scratching the back of his head

"Then ask her out dumbass. Don't pull the same mistake Ethan did and wait it out." Ren told him

"There you are Neptune." They heard Mercury say from the door

He was wearing his gray hooded jacket with his fingerless gloves and jeans. His gray hair was a mess and appeared to have traces of white in it.

"Ummm, what happened to your hair?" Neptune asked as he sat down

"Moral of the story, never ask Artemis to give you a haircut." He said smacking his head on the table

Neptune broke out laughing and received a punch from Mercury.

"I'm sorry, but that is pretty funny." Ren said holding back laughter

Mercury sighed and smacked his head against the table again.

"Mercury!" They heard in a sing song voice

"Shit, hide!" Mercury said

They all shot up and hid, Ren under his bed, Neptune under Ethan's bed, and Mercury hid in the closet that Ethan and Pyrrha shared. Artemis walked into the room wearing a white tank top that was quite revealing, she also had on jeans and her boots. Usually in combat she wore a white jacket over that.

"Where are you Mercury?" She sang while she looked through out the room "I know you're here."

He coughed and she opened up the closet.

"Hi!" He said as she dragged him out

"I need to finish cutting your hair mister." She said sitting on him on Ethan's bed

From sitting underneath, Neptune was scared that she would looked under the bed and find him. Mercury wiggled free and darted out the the door. He stuck his head back in the room.

"Neptune's under the bed." He said before leaving

"You bastard!" Neptune said emerging and chasing after him "Come back here!"

Artemis sighed and sat on Ethan's bed.

"Do you want to give me a haircut?" Ren asked her, coming out from under the bed

"Can I?" She asked him

"Sure, just let me get a towel to catch the hair. Blake just had Blaire clean the carpet and she would murder us if we messed it up." He said grabbing a towel and laying it on the floor

"With the all stuff that goes on I'm surprised you guys manage to do anything in here like that." She said as he sat down

"We find time in between classes and missions to do it." Ren said as she started cutting his hair

His hair had grown relatively long since he started at Beacon. It was originally shoulder length, and now he had to keep it in a ponytail in the back. Artemis released the pony tail and began her work.

About 30 minutes later, she was done. She leant back and handed Ren a mirror. He accepted it and was worried at first. But after seeing his hair, he was overall pleased.

"How'd I do?" Artemis asked him

"Really well." He said admiring his shorter hair

She trimmed the sides to make it end at his neck and shortened the back to where it formed a natural curve from where it ended at his shoulder line. Artemis's face lit up as she hugged Ren.

"Thank you!" She said before running out of the room as he redid his ponytail

Ren moved the mirror around and noticed how smooth it all was. He put the mirror down and wrapped up the towel. He threw it in the laundry basket and walked out into the hall. He saw the clock and made his way to Ethan's classroom. Arriving he saw him working on something on the board.

"No, that doesn't add up. Maybe subtract this and that." He said erasing something on the board "But that still doesn't work."

"What you working on?" Ren asked him

"Just a little project of mine. More or less a side hobby you could call it." Ethan said closing a text book he had opened and looked at his friend "Nice hair."

"Artemis did a good job at cutting it." Ren said "Apparently Neptune and Mercury don't like her haircuts."

"Well now I know where to go to get my haircut." Ethan said fixing his tie

"So what is your side hobby you've been working on?" Ren asked him viewing the textbook he had closed

"Just something having to do with interdimensional travel. I've managed to determine how to travel there and back, but to keep the portal open is close to impossible currently." Ethan said erasing the board "I keep trying to solve it. But I get the same result everytime. It is meant to happen once."

He sat down in his chair and spun around. Ren looked at his friend before sighing.

"Well, how much longer until class starts?" Ren asked him

"You are two hours early." Ethan said looking at the clock "You eat yet?"

"Now that you mention it, I did kinda skip my meals for the day." He said scratching the back of his head

"I got some food in the back." Ethan said walking into the storage room and bringing out a pizza "Dig in."

He put the pizza down on his desk and opened it up, the two began eating and talking as the time wore away. Before long, the bell rang and Ren went to take his seat with a pizza slice in his hand. Ethan closed up the box and put it back in the storage room. Ethan had four teams in his class, Team BERP, Team BNRV, Team Greece, and Team Stalker. Team stalker was an interesting team because they were all scythe wielders trained by death himself. They all took their seats and Ethan sat on his desk. Pyrrha walked in wearing a red skirt and orange blouse. She waved at Ethan and he waved back. After all his students took their seats, he did role and threw the clipboard on his desk.

"How are you all doing tonight?" He asked them

A series of responses were given, majority of them conveyed tired.

"I hope you aren't all too tired because I got permission from Ozpin to play a little game tonight." He said producing four flags "We are playing capture the flag tonight! I need a representative from each team to step forward and claim their flag."

Blake, Blaire, Artemis, and Jen (Team Stalker's leader) all walked down and grabbed a flag. They returned to their teams shortly after.

"Here are the rules. You have to hide it on campus and it has to be visible. Each team is responsible for collecting as many flags as possible. Stealth and your combat skills will help you in this game. Ozpin will be monitoring your aura status. Once you reach red, you will be eliminated. So emphasis on stealth." Ethan said "Any questions?"

Neptune raised his hand.

"Yes Mr. Neptune?" Ethan asked him

"What are you doing then?" Neptune asked

"I will be what you call a force of nature. So if I find you, prepare for a fight. I will not steal the flag, just merely aim to eliminate team members." He told him "You have 15 minutes to hide your flag!"

The teams darted out of the classroom and scattered to certain locations on campus. Team BNRV choose the roof of the library, Team BERP choose the gardens outside their room, Team Greece hid their flag on the balcony of where Pyrrha and Ethan met at the dance, Team Stalker placed their flag in the middle of the office courtyard. Ethan walked into the back and put Cross Tail on, he walked back out and activated his weapon.

"Hello again my old friend." He said to his weapon

"Are they ready?" Ozpin said from Ethan's chair

"They have 5 minutes left. They better be." Ethan said moving towards the door


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 36

"We should take up defensive positions." Ren told them

"We're down a man. We have to do it." Blake agreed

"I can listen for when people are coming." Pyrrha said "Then we can ambush them."

"I like that plan." Blake said

Ren hid in the bushes, Blake hid in the shadows, and Pyrrha hid up against the wall near the only entrance into the garden.

"We will win this!" Nora said jumping up and down in excitement

"Relax Nora. All the teams are going to be prepared for a fight." Blaire said inspecting her knife

"I agree with Blaire, Nora." Velvet said pulling out her sword

Rosaria stood on the edge of the roof with her bow out. She was watching intently for people to reveal themselves. Her only opponent in this would be Artemis, whom she looked forward to fighting.

Artemis stood on the balcony with her bow out. Neptune had transformed his weapon into a trident and held it in his right hand.

"I still don't see why we can't rush out." Neptune argued with his leader

"Because Neptune, we want the best chance to win possible. We can't do that if half of us are gone." She told him

Mercury and Ares were on the bottom floor waiting in the shadows. Ares had his spear out and leant it up against the wall, he was waiting for someone to enter through the door and face him and Mercury.

Their 5 minutes was up and the first team to move was Team Stalker, they sent two people to Team BNRV's flag, and left the other two to defend their flag. Rosaria spotted the two members of Team Stalker approaching. She informed Blaire at once.

"So here's what we'll do." Blaire said "Velvet and Nora will attack from one side, while I attack from the other."

Nora smiled at the thought of getting to hit people with her hammer. Her and Velvet jumped down and faced the two scythe wielders. They brandished their weapons and the fight began. Nora blocked an attack from one and slammed her hammer into the ground, sending a shockwave towards him. He rolled out of the way, but got hit by his second teammate. Who Velvet kicked into him. Velvet ran at them and attacked, the second scythe wielder blocked her attack and twirled his scythe. Nora came in and smacked the poor wielder in the side as he was sent flying into the wall. His aura reached red and he fell down. The last scythe wielder attack Velvet, but Blaire stepped in and blocked the attack. She kicked him back and saw an arrow land next to him. It exploded and sent him flying towards Nora, who smacked him with her hammer. He flew across the campus and landed next to Neptune.

"Poor kid." Neptune said checking his status "He'll be fine. Very sore but fine."

"Focus." Artemis said smacking him with her bow

Nora jumped in excitement as she sent the scythe wielder flying.

"Good job Nora." Blaire said "Velvet, stay here and watch our flag. We'll go grab Team Stalkers."

Velvet jumped back on top of the roof as Blaire and Nora ran to the office courtyard. Ethan sat atop the roof of the office and tapped the earpiece he had in.

"Ozpin, I don't know what your ultimate plan is yet. But I'm telling you, we don't need anyone else involved in the plan. Let me go and take care of the problem." Ethan said watching Blair and Nora fight the two Scythe wielders

"I know your opinion Ethan, but we need to find a guardian. You are to help me analyze these students and pick one." Ozpin said watching the fight from his datapad

"I can already give you my best three options. Ares, Artemis, and Rosaria. Those three have shown excellent skill and combat proficiency." Ethan told him

"You're not saying your real option." Ozpin replied

"You know I'm not letting anyone near her. She's been through a lot. The last thing we want is for her to have to carry this. It's bad enough I still have to fight my round 2 opponent." Ethan said

"Oh yes, concerning that. Be there at 10 on Friday." Ozpin told him "And if she were to do it Ethan, you wouldn't leave her side. You'd be with her every step of the way."

"Let's at least talk to her." Ethan said "Hold on, gotta go. I've been spotted."

Ethan jumped off the rooftop and landed in front of Nora and Blaire.

"So you've eliminated one team." Ethan said "Good job."

"Thanks!" Nora said as she grabbed the flag

Blaire continued to look at Ethan, she knew something was on his mind.

"Take the flag back Nora, I'll meet you there soon." Blaire told her as she walked over to Ethan

Nora ran out of the courtyard jumping in joy as she got the flag.

"Ethan, what's wrong?" Blaire asked him

"Nothing," He smiled at her "Just figuring out which team will make their move next."

"You're lying." She told him

"Yeah, I am." He said "But I'm not at liberty to discuss what is on my mind. For now let's focus on the game."

Blaire left to rejoin her team, wondering why he couldn't tell her. She thought they had become pretty good friends since they met. But this was troubling her.

"Blaire look out!" Rosaria yelled as she shot an arrow at Mercury

He slid and ducked under it, before meeting Blaire's fist. He landed on the ground and just stared at her.

"I assume no matter what comments I make will spare me?" Mercury asked her

"Sorry honey." She said going to hit him again

He smiled and kicked her back. He pushed himself up and looked at her.

"Sorry princess, gonna take a lot more than that to take me out." He smiled

"Flowerpower!" Blaire shouted

Nora and Rosaria just looked at her in confusion.

"What the hell is flowerpower?" Mercury asked

"Oh god." Ethan said slapping his forehead

"Hold on Mercury." She said turning to face her teammates who had now joined her "Nora brings the power and Rosaria brings the flower."

"Why am I the flower?" She asked

"Because your name is Rosaria?" Blaire responded

"What does the power do?" Nora asked

Ares had joined Mercury and they just looked at the girls. Ares slung his spear over his shoulder and sighed.

"We're kinda in the middle of a fight you know!" He told them

"And we're in the middle of a team meeting!" Blaire yelled at him

The two boys stepped back in fear.

"Ugh. Nora," Blaire sighed "just hit them with the hammer."

A huge smile grew across her face as she sprinted at the two boys. She swung her hammer and hit them both. They flew across the sky and landed next to Neptune on the balcony.

"Seriously! Why does everyone land here!" He exclaimed

"Hey guys?" Ren asked from the bushes "Where's our flag?"

"That son of a bitch!" Blake said running out into the courtyard

Ethan sat in the middle of the courtyard with all the teams flags. Each team slowly approached in an attempt to regain their flag. Something wrapped around Velvets leg and dragged her into the shadows.

"Velvet!" Blaire yelled

Neptune and Artemis saw the other two teams.

"You take on team I take the other?" He asked her

"I'll take the amazon's team." She replied

Blaire looked up to see Neptune coming down from the sky. She rolled to the side as his trident landed in the ground. Rosaria readied an arrow but wasn't allowed to fire as Neptune kicked the bow out of her hands. He pulled out his trident and blocked and attack from Nora. Blaire rushed him trying to catch him off guard, he jumped back from Nora. He raised his trident just in time to block her attack. Rosaria fired an arrow at him, causing Neptune to do something he never would do in a million years. He grabbed Blaire and stuck her in the way. The arrow exploded and sent Blaire flying back into Neptune.

"Damn, Neptune." Mercury said as Blaire was eliminated

"Why would he do that?" Velvet asked him

"Survival is key in a fight like this. He took a chance to eliminate another player." He told her

The eliminated players were on the balcony overlooking the fight, Velvet even brought popcorn. Mercury kept trying to steal her popcorn, but Velvet would smack his hand away every time.

He rolled Blaire off of him and blocked Rosaria's staff. She stepped back and twirled it in her hands before attacking again. Neptune rolled to the side and went for her legs. She jumped up and kicked him right into Nora.

"Everytime." Neptune said as Nora swung her hammer

Neptune flew onto the balcony and landed next to Velvet

"Hi." He coughed out

Artemis was dealing with Ren while the other two tried to find her weakness. She swung her bow and he blocked it with his pistols. He released one and fired at her. It hit Artemis and she stumbled back, Blake took her opportunity and attacked. Artemis stepped to the side as Blake's blade came down and hit the ground. Blake used her hand to push her off the ground and back into the air, kicking Artemis at the same time. Blake landed on Pyrrha's shield, which she used as a springboard to launch her. Artemis fired an arrow at Blake, but Ren shot it down. She rolled to the side to dodge Blake. Pyrrha's spear collided with her bow, and Artemis kicked her back. A white aura appeared around Pyrrha as she charged Artemis. She blocked her attack with her bow and jumped back. Blake swung her fist and Artemis blocked it with her arm. Ren came in with a kick and sent Artemis back. Ren noticed the other team trying to get the flags, he brought out his pistols and ran over to them. He jumped and fired at Rosaria. She didn't have time to move as her aura hit the red zone and she was eliminated. Ren smiled before ducking after seeing Nora's hammer moving towards him. She attacked him again, but this time bringing the hammer down on him. Ren grabbed the hammer and swung himself up into the air. He spun and fired at Nora. She moved her hammer to take most of the shots, but she still got hit multiple times. Ren landed and ran at her faster than she's ever seen him run before. He jumped and kicked her, but she moved her hammer to block his kick. He landed and blocked an attack from her hammer with his pistols. Nora raised her hammer to attack again, but Ren took the opportunity and fired at her. She flew back and was eliminated. Ren stood up from his previously crouched position and looked over at his team. Blake and Pyrrha were both fighting Artemis, which left the flags unprotected. Ren decided to go and help his team out instead of playing the objective.

"The flags are unprotected! Why is he not grabbing them!" Mercury exclaimed

"He's helping his team, something every hunter and huntress should be doing." Ethan said "Teamwork is vital in an objective based game or mission."

He watched on as his three teammates fought Artemis. Ren went to attack from above but Artemis saw through his plan and shot him with an arrow. It exploded and sent him back up into the air, eliminated.

"Who can guess his mistake?" Ethan asked his class

"He made too much noise?" Velvet asked

"He didn't use the shadows to his advantage?" Neptune asked

"He didn't analyze her blind spots." Ares said

"Bingo!" Ethan said "All of them are correct, but he forgot to analyze her blind spots."

Blake and Artemis were locked in a head on head battle. Pyrrha threw her spear and Artemis caught it, then used it to eliminate Blake by dealing multiple strikes at once.

"What was her mistake?" Ethan asked

"Blake or Pyrrha?" Mercury asked

"Let's analyze both." He replied

"Pyrrha made the mistake of throwing her spear. Blake didn't anticipate for Artemis to catch it and use it against her." Neptune said

"Exactly Mr. Neptune." Ethan said "You guys are getting good at this."

Pyrrha rolled to the side as Artemis brought her own spear down on her. Pyrrha stuck her hand out and grabbed it, pulling Artemis towards her. She hit Artemis with her shield and reclaimed her spear. Artemis jumped back and readied an arrow to fire at Pyrrha. The white aura appeared again as Pyrrha blocked the arrow. She threw her spear and Artemis leant back to dodge it, she stood back up and was kicked by Pyrrha. The ring on Pyrrha's finger started to glow green as she kept up her constant streams of attack.

"What's that green light?" Neptune asked

"That's not good." Ethan said jumping off the balcony

"Where is he going?" Mercury asked

"Get inside." Ares said seeing her aura start to turn green "Now!"

The eliminated students all hustled inside. Ares did a headcount and realized people were missing.

"Where's Blaire, Rosaria, Nora, Blake, and Ren?" He asked them

"Still outside." Mercury said

"We'll stay in here and wait for Ethan to come get us." Ares said

"What's going on even?" Velvet asked him

"Something involving magic." Ares told her

Ethan threw his wires at Blake and pulled her to an overhang. He did the same with Ren and the others before joining the fight. Pyrrha blocked her attack and dealt her own to Artemis. The ring was glowing brighter and Pyrrha's aura had changed to green instead of white.

"Artemis!" Ethan yelled "Get out of there!"

She aimed an arrow at Pyrrha and fired. It exploded and created a smoke cloud, she ran over to Ethan and they hid behind a wall.

"What's going on with her?" Artemis asked

"I have no idea. Follow my lead." He said as they emerged

Pyrrha stood there with her spear and shield ready for combat. Ethan threw his wires at her and they wrapped around her shield. He pulled the shield out of her hand and handed it to Artemis.

"When I tell you to, I want you to throw it at me." He told her

She took the shield and watched Ethan walk closer to Pyrrha. He had noticed a rift appear behind Pyrrha in the wall she was in front of, Artemis noticed it too before realizing what his plan truly was.

"Ethan, you can't do that!" She yelled after him

He looked back at her and the rift had expanded. Looking back at Pyrrha he saw her being pulled into the rift. Ethan stood there and deactivated Cross Tail, he put his hands in his pocket and pulled out something she'd never seen him use before. It was a silver cylinder with a blue half orb at the top. He pushed a button and the orb lit up, emitting a sound. Pyrrha was fully pulled into the rift and it formed a one way mirror. The rift created a one way mirror between where Pyrrha was and the real world. Pyrrha sat on the ground of what was a black room and looked out the mirror. She saw Ethan stand there with his hands in his pockets. She smacked the mirror trying to get out, tears flowing down her face as she realized she was stuck. Ethan turned around and walked away, not looking back. Pyrrha collapsed and sobbed as she felt abandoned.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 37

Ethan sat in his classroom the next day writing on the board, complex equations and idea's scattered across his board. Ren walked in and walked down to his friend.

"You're still working on this?" Ren asked pointing to the board

"I've been working on it since she was pulled into the rift." He said changing something on the board "I can't figure out a way to get her back!"

"When was the last time you got rest?" Ren asked him

"I'll rest when I figure out a way to pull her out of the rift and back into our world." He said pulling out the device and extending a part of it

"What is that?" Ren asked sitting down in a chair

"Sonic Screwdriver. A friend in Night Raid gave it to me after he saw me reading a book on string theory." Ethan said reading the data he had taken when he used it

"You need to rest Ethan, constantly working will only hinder your progress." Ren said leaving the classroom

Ethan sat down at his chair and closed his eyes. He was going to try something he'd never used before.

Pyrrha sat up and saw where she was. She was in her room back at Beacon, but the mirror was still showing the outside world. She saw many of her friends pass and faced away from the image.

"Pyrrha." She heard from behind her

"Ethan?" She said spinning around and seeing him stand there "Please tell me you have a plan."

"I'm working on one." He said "But here's what I need you to do for me. You have keep a clear head during all of this. Don't let any emotions fully take over. Can you do that for me?"

"I can yes." She smiled wiping away a tear

The image of Ethan faded away and she was left alone in her room.

Ethan opened his eyes and saw Ozpin sitting across from him.

"Trans dimensional communication?" Ozpin asked him

"I had to tell her something." Ethan said shakily standing up "But that's the last time I can use it."

"How goes the work?" Ozpin said standing up

"I haven't progressed any farther than where I was originally. It's the bringing her back part that is hard." Ethan told him

"Then what if we sent someone else in?" Ozpin said "I seem to recall us having a certain individual with an ancestry he would rather not discuss."

"I'm not activating those powers again." Ethan said erasing the board

Ozpin began to leave the room when he threw a knife at Ethan. He simply raised his hand and the knife disintegrated.

"You can't hide yourself anymore Ethan. Eventually someone will find out your lineage." Ozpin said turning to leave "Also, I think we should talk to her after this incident is done. We may have found our guardian."

"She is the best candidate." Ethan said "I'll inform him on the situation."

"No need to worry. I'm sure they know by now." Ozpin said leaving

Ethan returned to his work on figuring out how to get Pyrrha out of the rift, but Ozpin's words rang true and Ethan knew it. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, it's Ethan. We need to talk." He said

Neptune sat on the bench looking at where the rift was, a giant crack had grown across the wall. No one else but those present last night knew what was really behind the wall. He stood up and walked over to the wall. He put his hand against in and swore he felt another hand touch his. He smiled knowing she was still there.

"We're going to bust you out of there." He said "Ethan's been coming up with a plan this whole time. Ren said he won't rest until he's freed you. I guess we can expect that of him."

He swore he heard laughter coming from the other side of the wall.

"Hang in there Pyrrha, no one's leaving you behind." He said leaving

"I know Neptune." She said as he left "I never doubted you guys for a second."

Ethan sighed as he entered his room later that night. Team Greece and Ren were in his room when he entered.

"Any luck?" Ren asked from the table

"Ozpin mentioned something that I think we can try." Ethan said "But the risks are too great."

"What did he recommend?" Mercury said from Blake's bed

"He said we can send someone else in and pull them both out." Ethan said "We reopen the rift and send someone in and pulled them both out."

"Why would that not work?" Neptune asked leaving the bathroom "You can hear everything from that bathroom."

"You and Pyrrha need to keep it down at night." Ren laughed

"Wait what are you talking about?" Ethan asked him "Since we've gotten together we've barely had any alone time."

"Must be Ren and Nora then." Mercury said flipping the page of his magazine

Ares was laying on Ethan's bed, when it hit him what Ozpin's plan was. He sat up and looked at Ethan.

"Please tell me he doesn't plan to use your powers again." Ares said

"It's the only way to open the rift again." Ethan said "Which also means I'd have to go in and get her."

Ares smacked his forehead and got out of the bed. He walked over to join the rest of them, as Mercury had gotten off the bed and joined Ren at the table.

"He means to unlock that?" Ren asked

"What does he mean to unlock?" Mercury asked

Ares fill them all in on Ethan's ancestry. Neptune looked at him immediately after and looked shock.

"But then what do you plan on doing?" Neptune asked "Sounds like once you unlock it there's no going back to normal."

"He needs the ring currently on Pyrrha's hand." Ares told him

"This whole plan seems shaky." Mercury said

"Guys, where are the girls? Team BNRV's room is very quiet." Ethan asked

"I gave them a mission to distract them and leave this whole situation up to you boys." Ozpin said from the doorway "I assume you have all been briefed on the situation."

"That's insane Oz." Ares said "We can't just go unlocking his power whenever we see fit."

"She's the guardian." Ethan said "We choose her and now we need her more than ever."

Ares s looked at Ozpin, as he produced a small flash drive. He tossed it to Ares and he pulled out Ethan's laptop and plugged it in.

"Our next threat." Ozpin said as the screen revealed who it was

"He's turned on us." Ethan said "And now he is amassing an army. We can't take him down alone Ares."

"I don't like this one bit." Neptune said viewing the file "But if we have to do it, then I vote we do it."

"It's our only option." Ares said "We're forced to do it."

"Once they catch wind of Ethan's powers, they'll undoubtedly have to do more training and gather more soldiers." Ozpin said

"Let's get this over with as soon as possible." Ethan said walking over to his dresser and removing his suit

He threw on jeans and his grey t-shirt before joining his friends again. He flicked his wrists and activated Cross Tail.

"Using your power may break it." Ren said "Are you prepared for that?"

"Every weapon has it's life span." Ethan said looking at his hands "If Cross Tail's time has come, then there's no stopping it from happening."

"Let us proceed then." Ozpin said as they followed him out the door

They arrived at the wall and Ethan walked up to the wall, before putting his hand out. A green aura surrounded him and the rift opened up. Ethan walked in, and they waited for him to come back out.

Pyrrha woke up to feeling a hand touch her face. She sat up and saw Ethan staring at her.

"You ready to get out of here?" He asked her extending his hand

She took it and they proceeded to walk out of the rift. Pyrrha walked out and saw the guys looking at her, she looked back and saw Ethan get pulled back into the rift. It closed and Pyrrha ran over to the wall.

Ethan kicked the demon behind him and threw his wires around his neck.

"Who sent you?" Ethan asked him

"I have a message from Ragnarok." The demon said "He said prepare for the worst day of your life after the snow stops falling."

Ethan pulled his wires and sliced the demon's head off. Ethan looked back at the mirror, he placed his hand on it and it shattered.

Ethan was shot out from the wall as the crack closed up. He collided with Pyrrha and landed on top of her as the lay on the ground.

"Hi there." He said trying to push himself up

He felt her arms wrap around his back and pulled him back down.

"You aren't going anywhere." She said kissing him

The two remained locked on the ground, Neptune went to take a photo but Mercury lowered his phone.

"Let them be dude." He said "There are always more opportunities later."

Pyrrha released Ethan and he gasped for air. She laughed as he stood up panting. She stood up to and looked at him.

"Never kissed a girl for that long?" She teased

He looked away as she hugged his arm and leant her head on his shoulder.

"You two should rest up." Ren told them "Ares said I can crash with them for tonight."

Team Greece and Ren left for their room. Ozpin left too but gave Ethan a look of curiosity.

"Now what do we do?" Ethan asked

"I have one idea." Pyrrha said kissing him "Follow me."

Ethan woke up to the feeling of his left arm being numb. He looked over and saw Pyrrha tightly hugging his arm. He tried to wiggle it free but he was trapped. He looked at her as she continued to sleep, she had on her red tank top and her yellow gym shorts that she recently started sleeping in. She loosened her grip and Ethan pulled his arm free, however he fell out and landed on the floor.

"Ow." He said as he looked up to see Blake looking at him from her bed

"Ethan?" She asked him "Why's Pyrrha in your bed?"

"Ummm, because we broke her free from the rift last night." He told her "That and she insisted."

She climbed down from her bed and helped him stand. She then looked at his back and saw some scratches on it.

"You two didn't." She said looking at him

"No, off course we didn't." Ethan said "At least, I can't say if we did anyway."

"Then explain the scratch marks on your back." She said pointing to his back

His eyes went wide as he tried to look at his back. He ran into the bathroom and looked at it in the mirror. The scratch marks matched that of the demon that pulled him back into the rift. He saw that the wound was still fresh. Blake walked over and closed the bathroom door.

"You encountered a demon last night." She said

"Yeah, they were watching Pyrrha and as I pulled her out I got pulled in." He told her opening the door

"You can't go unleashing your powers Ethan. They'll track you and kill you." Blake said after him

"Then I'll kill them first." He said as he changed into his jeans and a t-shirt "I have to talk to Ozpin, watch her for me will you?"

He left the room and walked to Ozpin's office. Walking in he saw Ozpin looking at him, almost anticipating his arrival.

"Mr. Ethan." Ozpin said "What do I owe the pleasure?"

"We need to talk , but not here." Ethan said walking over to his bookcase and pulling down on a book

The bookcase moved into the ground to reveal a secret elevator. The elevator took them to the giant clock tower that was above Ozpin's office. They entered and took it to the clock tower. Arriving Ethan saw Ares waiting for them, along with Mercury, Neptune, and Ren.

"About time you got here." Neptune teased "We were worried Pyrrha might have killed you last night."

That last part Neptune added then winked at him, Ethan flipped him off and leant up against a pillar.

"What's the plan?" Ren asked "We all saw you walk out of there with scratches on your back. What did they say?"

"He said that my cousin is making their move after winter break. Those weren't his exact words but that was ultimately the gist of it." Ethan said "We need to act now."

"First, we should finish the tournament." Ozpin said "We know they have spies in the school. If we finish the tournament they will be able to see all our skills."

"How does that help us in any way?" Mercury asked

"It keeps their eyes off of us." Ares said "That way we can continue to have these meetings and not get busted."

"Let's talk to her." Ethan said "That appears to be out best option right now."

"I agree with Ethan." Neptune said "We talk to her and get her idea."

"But how do we test her?" Ares said "We all went through a test to get here."

"Except Mercury and I." Neptune said

"Nope, we tested you." Ethan said "You just didn't see it, because you weren't expecting it."

Neptune seemed lost and looked around the room.

"Sneak attack dumbass." Mercury said "We attack her when she's least expecting it, or something like that."

"And I know just how to do that." Ethan said pulling out his phone "Ozpin, why don't you go down and meet her."

Ozpin got back in the elevator as the others hatched their plan.

Pyrrha's phone buzzed as she sat at breakfast. Looking over she saw Ethan calling her.

"Hello?" She answered

"Hey, I need you to come to Ozpin's office." He said "I'll explain more later."

He hung up and she finished her breakfast. She got up and left the cafeteria, heading for Ozpin's office. She was wearing her armor and had her shield and spear on her back as she entered Ozpin's office. He was waiting for her and beckoned for her to come over.

"What's going on Professor?" She asked as her ears twitched

"I need to talk to you Miss Nikos, but we will need to go somewhere else." He said pulling the book down to reveal the elevator

They got in and rode it to the clock tower. She got out and saw no one in the room, except a desk at the other side. Ozpin walked over and sat down at the desk, a chair appeared and she sat down in it.

"Miss Nikos, I'm sure you are aware of the current threat we face?" He asked her

"The goblin horde?" She returned

"No my dear. There is a far more sinister evil in work here." He told her "I'm certain you are aware with the tale of the Demon King. Who ruled the demon realm and kept the peace between them and this realm."

"Yes, I am quite familiar with that one. It was my favorite." She said

"Well what would you do if I told you it was true?" Ethan said leaning against one of the pillars next to the elevator

"But it's a tale. It was made as a story to keep children entertained." She said looking at Ethan

"All tales begin with legends." Ares said from another pillar

"And all legends have an origin." Mercury said from the pillar closest to her

"The origin of the Demon King is more true than you realized." Neptune said appearing on the pillar opposite of Ethan

"He existed Pyrrha, and his son is at the school." Ren said appearing from the pillar behind Ozpin

She stood up and looked at the pillars containing the boys. They were all looking at her as she looked at them. When she got to Ethan she noticed him staring at the ground.

"Professor, what's going on? Why did I get called down here?" She asked

"Pyrrha, sit down so I can explain." Ozpin told her

She listened but her eyes never left Ethan as he continued to stare at the ground.

"Miss Nikos." Ozpin said "The Demon King had two sons. One was killed in the heat of combat during a demon insurgency, the other lived on to become the next king. That king had two sons and one daughter as well. The daughter was adopted at an early age by a human family, while the other two sons ended up having a war over the throne. The surviving son was then murdered by his trusted advisor Ragnarok. Who then took the throne and is now ruling the demon realm."

"But what happened to the daughter?" Pyrrha asked

"She grew older and married a human. Together they had two kids, a boy and a girl. The boy was supposed to lay claim to the throne but choose not to. The daughter then had one son, which makes him the true heir to the throne." Ethan said

"What was the daughter's name?" Pyrrha asked

"Akame." Neptune told her "She joined Night Raid and met a human called Lubbock. Together they had a girl named after her sister Kurome and a boy named Ren. Ren went on to having no kids, but Kurome had a boy. She also adopted a baby faunus before she had her first kid."

Pyrrha looked over at Ethan, who was still staring at the ground.

"Which makes Ethan…" She said

"The heir to the demon throne." Ares said "Well, the true heir."

Pyrrha got up and walked over to him she uncrossed his arms and held his hands.

"So then what do you need me for?" She asked looking at them

"We need you to be this school's guardian while we are out working to eliminate the threat." Ozpin told her

"I'm not leaving Ethan's side." Pyrrha told them

"Guys," Ethan said "can we have the room for a minute?"

They all walked back into the elevator and took it back down.

"How long have you been keeping this from me?" She asked him

"Since I met you." He told her "Everyone else who found out treated me like an enemy. You made me feel like a normal human being. Also, Night Raid helped out too. I won't lie, I did have fun killing people."

"But you are a normal human being." Pyrrha told him

"I'm not. I'm part demon." He said as the ring on her finger glowed

She took it off and handed it to him, he put it on and stepped away from her. He drew the sword, except the gem was green instead of red.

"This was my weapon to protect myself. When I was young I was fueled by rage so it changed to Hell's Blade. Now it's back to its original self, Knight's Fall. All because of you Pyrrha." He told her

"So what is your plan?" Pyrrha asked him

"Kill the current demon king and restore the underworld to the way it was." He said as the sword dematerialized back into the ring

"Oh." She said grabbing her arm in disappointment

"Wait, that came out wrong." He said running over to her "The plan is to pick a new person to rule and transfer all my powers over to him."

"But as king you can have anything you want. Why not take it?" She said looking at the ground

He lifted her chin up and stared into her eyes.

"Because I have everything I need right in front of me." He said kissing her

The elevator door opened and Mercury stepped out first.

"Get a room you two." He said

"We did have a room." Ethan said "Then you walked into it."

"Sorry about that. But we needed to finish our conversation." Ares told him smiling "Plus Neptune wanted to see how far you two would go without us in the room."

Pyrrha raised her eyebrow as she looked over to see Neptune hide behind a pillar.

"Please don't kill me." He said pointing to Ren "It was his idea!"

Pyrrha eyed Ren and he stepped back a few paces.

"I can explain?" He said as Pyrrha approached him

She used her tail to grab his leg and pull it out from under him. He fell down and they all laughed.

"Now, Miss Nikos. Will you be our guardian?" Ozpin asked her

"Certainly Professor." She said holding Ethan's hand "As long as I have him to believe in me."

"Very well then." Ozpin said sitting down "Go enjoy the rest of your day. Don't forget that Ethan here is fighting in round 2 on Friday at 10:00."

They all climbed into the elevator except for Ozpin. He waved as the elevator took them down to his office. Walking out they saw Professor Goodwitch waiting for them.

"Professor Goodwitch." Ethan said in shock "What can we do for you?"

"I need to borrow you boys for today's combat class. Pyrrha, you can watch." Goodwitch told them as she left

They followed her and the whole time the boys were scared to see what Goodwitch had in store for them. She led them to the arena and stopped at the competitor entrance.

"Ethan, you're up." She said

"But round 2 isn't even over! I'm the last match." He exclaimed

"Well your opponent forfeited because she broke her arm. She also said you had quite a charm and she didn't want to ruin that pretty face of yours." Goodwitch laughed towards the end

Ethan sighed and walked into the entrance. Pyrrha saw him pull out his headphones and put them in. He looked back and smiled at her, before walking towards the locker room.

"Let's go get our seats." Goodwitch said "This is going to be a fun match."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 38

Ethan walked over the locker that contained all his gear. He put on Cross Tail and felt the wires snake up the the fingertips. He put his jacket on and also put on his hat backwards. Looking back he saw a note from Blake.

 _Be careful out there. We're all rooting for you. Except Nora, she just wants to see a kick ass fight. Go give her one._

 _~Blake_

Ethan looked at the bottom of his locker and saw a picture of him and Pyrrha asleep. Her head was on his chest and he held her close to him. He flipped the picture over and read another message.

 _Just so you have motivation to win. Go get em tiger!_

 _~Nora_

 _P.S. if you lose I'm putting this up on the internet._

Ethan put the photo higher up in his locker and closed the door. He smiled and walked towards the tunnel. His headphones were still in as he waited to be called out. While he waited, he was thinking about the plan he and Ozpin made.

" _I highly doubt that we'll all make it out alive."_ Ethan thought " _That's why I have to do something I know I'm going to hate."_

He saw his name appear on one of the televisions inside the tunnel. He walked out and activated Cross Tail. Walking onto the floor, he saw his opponent. Artemis held her bow in her right hand and had her other hand on her hip.

"I'm not going easy on you." She said notching an arrow

"I wouldn't expect anything else." Ethan said crouching

The timer counted down as they both came up with an attack plan. Artemis's plan was to attack through his blind spots. Ethan's plan was to use his speed as an advantage.

The timer hit zero and an arrow flew by Ethan's face as he dodged it. Pushing himself of the ground he rushed Artemis. He swung his fist and she blocked it using her bow. He attacked again and she used her arm to push his fist aside. Ethan flipped backwards and pushed himself off the ground using his hand, landing where he needed to be. He threw his wires at her but she shot an arrow at them, causing them to be destroyed. He planned for this, so it came as a shock when she went to grab an arrow and couldn't find her quiver. He held it up and pulled out an arrow. He threw it at her like a spear and she caught it with her hand. She readied the arrow and sent it flying back at Ethan. He rolled to the side and grabbed her leg with his wires, he leaped at her and she kicked him back. She ran at him, trying to get her quiver back. She slid and hit his legs with her bow. He fell down and rolled as she grabbed an arrow. She shot the arrow at him and he barely had time to dodge it. He threw his wires at her, this time they wrapped around her bow. She pulled out a knife and threw it at him. Ethan caught it and raised his eyebrow at her. He twirled the knife in his hands and threw at her. It stuck to the ground in front of her and she picked it up. She pushed a button on it and it turned into a sword. Ethan deactivated Cross Tail and drew Knight's Fall. The gauntlet appeared on his arm as he held the sword. Artemis rushed Ethan and swung her sword. He blocked the attack faster than she's ever seen him move before. He kicked her back and rushed her. She blocked his attack and had to keep blocking as he kept attacking her. She found a weak spot and attacked there, however, Ethan anticipated this and rolled to the side. He pushed himself off the ground and at Artemis. She moved to the side and attacked him, her blade sliced his arm. She noticed the blood on her blade and dropped it in pure shock at what she did.

"It's alright." Ethan said standing up "I can take a hit."

She nodded and picked her sword back up. He rushed her and she ducked, before grabbing his leg and pulling him down. She went to pin him down, but was kicked off instead. She landed on her feet and saw him stand up. Artemis rushed him and swung her blade at him. In two quick movements, Ethan disarmed her and his blade up to her throat.

"The winner is Ethan Belladonna!" The announcer said

Ethan dematerialized Knight's Fall and smiled at Artemis.

"You are one good fighter Artemis." Ethan told her "Almost gave me a run for my money."

"I wasn't expecting you to summon your blade." She replied

"Well, needless to say I'm starving. Want to go grab lunch?" He asked her

"Won't Pyrrha murder me and you if she sees us out." Artemis laughed

"I'm sure she'll be fine." He told her "Hopefully."

"Why not instead we do a double date." She told him

"Let's discuss this not in the middle of the arena floor." Ethan laughed before heading back to his locker

Artemis went back to her locker and saw Mercury waiting for her at his locker.

"That was a good match." He said hugging her

She returned his hug and felt him stroke her hair.

"Why must we meet in the shadows, let's just come out and tell everyone." Artemis said with her head on his chest

Mercury was only a head taller than Artemis, however he and Ethan were the same height. He felt her look up at him and he smiled.

"Trust me when I say I'd rather wait for this whole storm to blow over." Mercury told her

She leant up and kissed him. She pulled away and looked into his grey eyes.

"You seem troubled." She said "What's wrong?"

"It's this thing we're doing. I just don't trust the plan fully." Mercury told her "I feel like this is going to end badly."

"I trust you'll make it back to me." She said kissing him

They heard someone cough and they turned to see Ethan and Pyrrha standing at the doorway.

"So this is where you two meet?" He asked Mercury

"How long have you been standing there?" Artemis asked blushing

"Long enough." Pyrrha responded "I'm so happy for you two!"

She ran over and hugged Artemis.

"Tell me everything." Pyrrha said dragging Artemis out the door

Ethan looked over at Mercury, who returned his look.

"Relax, everything is going to be fine." Ethan said "The plan doesn't take place until after winter break."

"That's what worries me." Mercury told him "Ragnarok has a lot time of time to prepare his forces. We should be attacking now."

"Believe me, as much as I would love to do that right now. We can't." Ethan said "We're still training too."

"I know that. But," Mercury said "I fear for Artemis's safety. If they know I'm involved and word gets out that we're a couple they'll target her for sure."

"Why do you think Pyrrha and I came in her?" Ethan said "To risk your exposure."

Mercury sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Come on then. Artemis mentioned something about a double date." Ethan said as Mercury followed him out of the room

"Off course she did." He sighed

Pyrrha and Artemis were sitting in Team Greece's room. Artemis held up a silver dress and Pyrrha gave her a thumbs up.

"Perfect!" Pyrrha said jumping up from Artemis's bed

"What's with the dress?" Ares asked looking up from his book

"How long have you been there?" Artemis asked throwing a shoe at him

He dodged the shoe and looked back at Artemis, her face bright red from embarrassment.

"Long enough to know that you and Mercury suck at keeping your relationship a secret." Ares said closing his book and jumping off his bed "I mean seriously, we can all hear you two at night."

Artemis shot an arrow at him. He caught the arrow and it blew up, sending pink smoke into the air. The smoke cleared and Ares had pink hair instead of his normal color hair.

"What the hell Artemis!" He exclaimed "I have a date tonight!"

"With who?" Pyrrha asked

"Blaire." He sighed "We're going to see a play."

"Well, then." Artemis said "Let's fix that hair of yours."

"Please no." Ares said grabbing his pillow to use a shield

Pyrrha laughed as Artemis tackled Ares to the ground. She managed to pin him down and started fixing his hair, with scissors.

"Artemis!" Ares yelled as she cut his hair

"Calm down, I promise I'll make it look good." She said as he sighed in defeat

Pyrrha remained looking at the two, she then decided to get her dress for the evening. Lunch had changed to dinner, and she forgot to tell the boys that.

"I'll be back." Pyrrha said getting up and leaving

"No wait Pyrrha come back!" Ares yelled after her

She ran to her room and opened the door to find Ethan asleep on his bed. Carefully closing the door she walked over to the closet she shared with Ethan, conveniently located between their dressers. Opening the closet door, she grabbed her red dress and snuck out of the room. She gave a sigh of relief as she walked out into the hallway. She started to make her way back before she felt herself get pulled into Team BNRV's room.

"What the…" She said as she got pulled in

"Pyrrha," Blaire said "you have to help me. I'm a nervous wreck about tonight. What if he doesn't like me? What if he thinks I'm annoying? You gotta help me Pyrrha! I don't even know what dress to wear!"

She collapsed onto her bed and Pyrrha threw her dress onto Nora's bed, before sitting next to her.

"Don't worry, Ares is just as much panicking as you are." She told her

"He is?" Blaire asked lifting her head up

Ares looked at his now spiky pink hair. Artemis smiled and twirled the scissors behind him.

"Told you I'd make it look fine." She told him

"I would prefer my natural hair color back, but other than that it's awesome." Ares said

"Now go get Pyrrha." She told him

He sighed in defeat and stood up to walk out.

"Why do I always have to do everything around here!" He exclaimed as he left

"Yeah, seriously." Neptune said flipping a page in his magazine "I've noticed that he does end up doing everything."

Artemis shot him a glare and shot an arrow at him. It exploded and black smoke came out. Neptune jumped out through the smoke and tackled Artemis to the ground.

"Not this time." He said looking at his hair in the mirror "Actually, it looks good. You gave me black tips."

Artemis kicked him off her and she stood up.

"It's not nice to tackle a lady." She said crossing her arms

"And it's not nice to kick a guy in the balls." Neptune coughed as he rolled on the floor

"Serves you right." Artemis said as Pyrrha entered holding her red dress

"What happened to you?" Ares asked Neptune as he helped him up

"Women are evil man." He said as Artemis threw one of her heels at him

"Let's get out of here." Ares said

"I'm right behind that." Neptune agreed as he blocked another shoe

They left the room and Pyrrha laid her dress out on her bed. Artemis did the same and the two women high fived.

"We're going to look amazing tonight." Artemis said "Did you ever get your dress fixed for your tail?"

Pyrrha looked behind her and remembered her new features she had.

"I completely forgot. I need a new dress!" She said grabbing Artemis and running out of the room

"Where are we going?" Artemis asked running behind her

"To find Blake! She must have something to help me!" Pyrrha said as she ran by Rosaria and Velvet

The two girls were walking back to their room when Pyrrha and Artemis dashed by them. Velvet turned back around to see Nora in front of them.

"Guy's we have a problem." She said

"What's the problem." Rosaria asked

"I think Ren is cheating on me." Nora said "I've been finding secret letters in his notebooks."

"Have you fully read the letters?" Velvet sighed

"Ummm, no?" Nora sheepishly said

"That's why dummy." Rosaria said "He's probably been writing back home."

"But he has no home." Nora said "And that's the sad part. We should do something to cheer him up!"

"Let's plan this back at the room." Rosaria said pushing Nora in the direction of their room

As soon as they were gone, Ren stepped out from behind a pillar.

"She thinks I'm cheating on her?" He said to himself

"Well, you have been secretly walking around and writing letters to people." Blake said from next to him

"BLAKE!" She heard Pyrrha yell

Blake turned around to see Pyrrha and Artemis run up to them. Artemis was panting while Pyrrha was ecstatic.

"I need your help." She said

"With?" Blake asked her in return

"I forgot to get my dress fixed when I became a Faunus. I need your help to get a dress that will accommodate my new features." Pyrrha told her

"Ok, what time is your date tonight?" Blake asked her

"7:30." Artemis told her as she straightened her back

"It's 2:30 now. Follow me!" Blake said as they ran to the airship "Good luck Ren!"

"Yup, that's about right." Ren said as he watched them run off

A few hours later, Pyrrha had a brand new red dress. This time she got some sleeves to go with it, they were half sleeves that matched the color of her dress.

"Pyrrha, you will make Ethan regret not asking you out sooner with this." Blake said pointing to the dress as they walked back to the airship

"We don't need to revive that. We're happy as it is." Pyrrha told her "Besides, this is more for Artemis and her date."

"Who's the lucky guy?" Blake asked "Or poor fellow?"

"It's a secret for now." Artemis replied "But I promise that you'll find out soon enough."

"What time is it Blake?" Pyrrha asked her

"It is 6:30 right now." Blake replied looking at her phone

"So we have time to do our hair and get ready." Artemis said "Plus we'll brush her tail, need all of her looking nice."

Pyrrha blushed as they boarded the airship.

"I wonder what the guys are up to?" Artemis asked as she took her seat

3:30

"Suck it!" Ares yelled as he stood up in victory

"I hate this game." Mercury said as he threw the controller onto his bed

"Are you two still playing that ridiculous shooting game?" Neptune asked from his bed as he flipped the page on his magazine

"You try playing this game." Mercury told him

"Alright." Neptune said getting up and grabbing the controller off Mercury's bed "Start the game."

He sat down next to Ares and the two battled it out in the game. Ethan was looking out the balcony of their room while they had their competition. Ren walked up to him and crossed his arms.

"You alright?" Ren asked him

"Just tired is all." Ethan replied looking at his friend

"You ready for your date tonight?" Ren asked as they moved away from the window

"Yeah, It'll be a good icebreaker for Mercury and Artemis." Ethan said

"Dude!" Mercury exclaimed

"Sorry." Ethan laughed as he sat down on Neptune's bed

"Damn it!" Ares exclaimed as he lost "How are you this good?"

"I was on a pro team for a while." Neptune said

"Same here." Ethan told him "And I remember kicking your ass at finals."

Neptune turned around and glared at him.

"Why not we redo that match?" Neptune said tossing him Ares's controller

Ethan caught it and sat next to Neptune. They started the game and the real competition was on.

"So what do we do while these two play?" Ares asked walking over to Ren and Mercury, who were looking at Neptune's magazine

"I got an idea, but it's risky." Mercury said

"No," Ares said pointing at him "last time we did one of your ideas we all got detention. You're banned."

Mercury sighed and flipped the page in the magazine, revealing a letter addressed to Neptune. Ren saw the letter and noticed the handwriting.

"I have an idea." Ren said holding up the letter

Ares's eyes went wide as he grabbed the letter and walked over to Neptune. He stood behind him and started to say something that would sound like what was on the letter even though he hasn't even opened it.

"Dear Neptune, I really enjoyed spending time with you last night. I think I want to take our relationship to the next level. See you soon! Xoxo Rosaria." Ares read

Neptune froze as Ethan turned to look at him with an eyebrow raised. Ares dropped the letter onto Neptunes lap.

"Relax dumbass, I never even opened it." Ares told him as he walked back to Mercury and Ren

Neptune held up the letter and opened it. He read it then sealed it back up.

"Where did you guys even find this?" He asked them

"In your magazine." Mercury said flipping the page

"I don't even remember getting this, that's the funny part." Neptune said standing up and putting the letter in his dresser

"So?" Ethan asked "What did it say?"

"I think she might like me." Neptune replied

"Guys," Ethan told them "it's time to enact Operation RoseTune."

"Oh, hell yeah!" Mercury said jumping off the bed

"Alright, I'll give." Ren said

"Count me in." Ares replied

"I'm scared." Neptune said as his friends approached him

Rosaria was in the library reading when she saw Ethan walk in. She saw him walk to the section on romance novels. Wondering why he would be there, she got up and walked over to him.

"Since when were you big into romance novels?" She asked him moving her hair behind her ear

"Pyrrha's into them. I figured I would come get one for her." He said turning to face her "And what are you wearing?"

She was wearing a golden silk dress that went down to her knees, and Ethan froze at the sight of her.

"Oh this?" She said looking down "My mother sent it to me. She said I need something to impress the men at the school with."

"Well you're definitely doing a good job." Ethan told her "Got the better of me."

"Yeah, so can I ask you a question?" She asked him

"Sure, fire away?" He told her

"Have you seen Neptune anywhere around here?" She said "I want to talk to him but I haven't been able to find him anywhere."

"Follow me." He told her

They left the library and she followed Ethan to Team Greece's room. They stopped outside the door and Ethan turned around.

"It's a good thing you're wearing that." He said opening the door "Fits the theme."

She walked in and noticed the room was dimly lit, with a table in the middle. Candles were on it, along with food that Neptune made. Neptune sat up from his bed and saw them at the door. He had his black suit and blue tie on.

"Did you do all this?" Rosaria asked him entering the room

"Yeah, I did." He replied "I just wanted to do something special for you."

Rosaria blushed and kissed him.

"It's perfect." She said

"Have fun you two." Ethan said "And remember, hands above the belt Rosaria."

"Ethan!" Neptune exclaimed as the door was shut

He looked at his watch and ran back to his room. Arriving he saw Mercury and the others waiting outside his room.

"Well?" Ares asked opening their door

"It worked." Ethan said walking into his room

"I knew it!" Mercury said following them in

Ren closed the door and looked at Ethan and Mercury.

"Don't you two have dates in about an hour?" Ren asked

Ethan ran over to his closet and pulled out his black suit.

"Who's idea was it to buy closets?" Ares asked

"Pyrrha's idea." Ren said as Ethan threw Mercury his suit

"You stored your suit in Ethan's room?" Ares asked him

"Well when we gave up the room to Neptune and Rosaria, which I think is a terrible idea, I grabbed it and ran it over here." Mercury told him

Ren felt the door open and himself pulled out into the hallway. He looked into Nora's green eyes as he feared for his life.

"Hi Nora." He sheepishly said

"Ren, I need to talk to you." She said "Have you been contacting this woman called Mary recently?"

"Yeah, I have been." He said scratching the back of his head

"I see how it is." Nora said tearing up "Who is she huh? What do you like about her better than me?"

"Nora," Ren said moving closer to her "She's my Aunt."

"That's weird." Nora laughed "You're into older women, let alone your family members?"

"I've been talking to her since my brother died. She's the last family member I have left." Ren told her

Nora hugged him and buried her face into his chest.

"I'm sorry for doubting you Renny." She said looking up at him

Ren kissed her and held her tight.

"It's alright." He said "Glad to see I have you to worry about me."

Ethan opened the door and grabbed Ren's collar, pulling back inside the room and closing the door behind him.

"Hey!" Nora yelled

"You'll have him back in a half hour." Ethan said through the door

Ren looked at the three guys in the room and wondered what they needed him for.

"What happened?" Ren asked them

"Pyrrha's airship crashed in the forest. Mercury, Ares and I are going to go get them." Ethan told him "Text Neptune and tell him what happened. Keep Nora and the others distracted."

"Got it." Ren said as they all left the room

Ethan, Ares, and Mercury ran down the hall as they made their way to the hill to get down into the forest. They arrived and saw the smoke in the distance. Ethan activated Cross Tail and slid down the hill. Ares followed shortly after and Mercury went down last.

"How far is the crash site?" Ares asked readying his spear

"A couple miles out." Ethan said hearing familiar sounds "We need to hurry!"

They rushed off towards the crash site, praying that nothing bad had totally happened.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 39

"Pyrrha?" Blake asked shaking her "Wake up."

She sat up and noticed that the airship was crashed. Artemis walked out of the cockpit and looked at Blake.

"The pilot's dead." She said "Plus we have no weapons to defend ourselves with."

"We need to hide then." Blake said looking around for a hiding spot

"The ramp's still closed." Pyrrha pointed out "We should be fine for now."

They all sat down on the floor and waited for help to come. Little did they know, help was closer than it seemed to be.

Mercury jumped over a fallen log and rolled, before continuing to run towards the crash site. Ares was close behind, spear in hand. Ethan had resorted to travelling through the trees, providing overwatch and making sure they aren't being followed. A group of bandits blocked the path ahead.

"I'll deal with them." Ares said rushing at them "Keep going."

Mercury jumped over the group and landed on the other side, rolling on the ground and getting back up shortly after. Ethan passed the group to see Ares holding his ground. He kept moving to catch up to Mercury. They saw the crash site ahead of them, and quickened their pace. A two bandits saw Mercury approaching and stood in front of the ramp. Mercury jumped and kicked a bandit's head into the ramp. It caved inward and killed him, he pushed himself off the ramp and landed on the ground. The second bandit went to attack him, but felt something wrap around his throat. Mercury looked up to see the bandit's head separated from his body and land on the floor. Ethan landed next to Mercury and they walked over to the closed ramp. Ethan deactivated Cross Tail and summoned Knight's Fall. He stabbed the sword into the metal and created an opening for them to look into. Mercury looked into the ship as Ethan looked behind them to see more bandits coming at them.

"Get the ramp open and get them out of here." Ethan said as he rushed the group

"Mercury?" He heard Artemis say

"Please tell me you're safe." He told her

"I am. We're a bit bruised up but we'll be fine." She told him

"Stand back, I'm going to try something." Mercury said backing up

Artemis and the other two went into the cockpit and waited. Mercury kicked the ramp where Ethan stabbed it, and broke it open. The hole was big enough for them to escape through. Blake ran out and went through first, she picked up one of the dead bandit's swords and joined her brother in his fight. Pyrrha climbed through next and Mercury directed her to hid in the trees. Artemis climbed out last and Mercury smiled at her. He took her to the same spot as Pyrrha and they waited in the shadows.

Blake killed the last bandit and looked at Ethan. His sword was covered in blood, and he appeared to be cut up along his arms and back. He smiled at his sister and they ran over to join Mercury.

"Let's head back." Ethan told them

"I agree." Mercury said as they started to run back

They ran into Ares on their way back. He had major cuts going along his body, but he sat on a log with his spear on his shoulder.

"Took you guys long enough." He laughed

"Come on, we're heading back." Mercury told him

"So soon?" Ares complained "But I wanted to have more fun."

A bandit stood up and Ares shoved his spear into his chest. He pulled it out and kicked the bandit into a tree.

"Fine then." Ares said "Let's head back."

They ran back to the hill and Ares helped Blake get up the hill. When they were at the top, Neptune extended his hand to help Blake climb the steepest part.

"Thanks Neptune." She said grabbing his hand

"Anytime." He said pulling her up

Mercury helped Artemis get up and Neptune helped her up too. Pyrrha was being helped up by Ethan when a chain wrapped itself around Ethan's leg. He was pulled back down the hill and into the trees.

"Ethan!" Pyrrha yelled

She was going back down, when Ares grabbed her wrist.

"I'll handle it." He told her "You get to safety."

Ares ran down the hill and into the trees. Pyrrha got to safety and waited for him to return with Ethan.

A few minutes later, Ares emerged with Ethan. They climbed the hill and Ares helped Ethan get back onto school grounds. Neptune then helped Ares get up and they sat there panting.

"What the hell was that?" Neptune asked adjusting his tie

"One of my old enemies." Ethan laughed "We sure showed him though."

"Hell yeah." Ares said fist bumping Ethan

"You two should get checked out." Artemis told them

"We'll be fine." Ethan said dematerializing Knight's Fall "We just need to rest up."

"Somehow I doubt that." Pyrrha laughed

Rosaria saw them and ran over to them, Ren was close behind her.

"Are you guys ok?" She asked kneeling next to Ethan

"We'll be fine." Ethan smiled at her "I might seriously want to consider getting new clothes though. I love this jacket and it always gets torn up in combat."

"We'll go after class tomorrow." Pyrrha told him "Plus we can work on our project too."

"True," Ethan standing up and offering her his hand to help her up "we can buy the materials we need to do it."

"I'm surprised no one else asked this question." Artemis said "But why is Neptune wearing a suit?"

"Well, uh we were kinda on a date." Rosaria said holding his hand "Then we heard about this and came running to help our friends."

"Sorry to interrupt your date." Ethan said "We'll make it up to you somehow."

"Yeah." Ares said "Just come to us if you need anything done."

"Thanks for the offer guys." Rosaria said looking at Neptune "But I think you've done enough for one night."

"I don't know about the rest of you," Ethan said "But I'm going to go shower and take a long nap."

"I second that." Mercury said

"Same." Ares said raising his hand

They all stood up and walked their separate ways back to their respected rooms. Rosarai kissed Neptune good night and she followed her friends back to her room.

Rosaria bid her friends good night as she entered her room and they theirs. Ethan removed his jacket and threw it on his bed. He removed his shirt and did the same. Blake looked over at his back and saw the slashes on his back.

"Sit down Ethan." She told him

He sat on his bed and Blake pulled out the first aid kit she bought a few days ago. She pulled out the needle but couldn't find the thread anywhere.

"Let me help you out with that." Ethan said closing his eyes and letting Cross Tail stitch up his wounds

Blake smiled at how much he'd grown attached to Cross Tail. He loved that weapon more than anything, it was his pride and joy. She continued to space out looking at him when he turned around to look back at her.

"Earth to Blake?" He said waving his hand in front of her face

"Yes?" She said shaking her head

"You alright?" He asked her with concerned look on his face

"Yeah. I'm just tired." She told him "It's not everyday you crash land in the forest."

"Get some rest then sis." Ethan said scratching behind her cat ears

Blake's face grew red as he did this.

"I found your weak spot." He laughed as she curled up into a ball on his bed

She fell asleep on his bed and he got up to shower. Pyrrha had slipped into the bathroom and changed into her golden night gown she bought that day. She exited the bathroom to see Ethan with a towel over his shoulder and his change of clothes in his hands.

"You alright Pyrrha?" He asked her

"Yeah," She said "I'll talk to you after you've showered."

"See you soon." He said exiting the room and walking to the showers located just down the hall

He entered to find Ren in there showering too.

"How you holding up?" Ren asked him

"Well for starters," Ethan said changing and turning the water on "I feel like crap and my whole body hurts."

"Well, that's what happens when you get into a fight." Ren said "I wonder how the others are holding up."

"Let me look at your wounds!" Artemis exclaimed

"I said I'm fine." Ares said as he removed his shirt in pain "I just need to stitch them up and I'll be fine."

"You are not fine dude." Neptune said as he appeared out of the bathroom wearing sweatpants and a blue tank top "Just let her look at you. There's no harm in it."

"Fine then." Ares said sitting on her bed

Artemis looked at his back and pulled out the first aid kit. She started to stitch up his back when the conversation changed topics.

"Neptune?" Ares asked

"Yeah?" He responded from the table, a cup of coffee in his hands

"Why is your bed a mess?" Ares asked pointing to his bed "It was perfectly organized when we left."

"I swear to god neptune if you get her pregnant." Artemis said pausing to glare at him

"Would you two relax, we didn't do that. It was just an intense makeout session." He told them

"That would explain the lipstick marks on your neck." Artemis said

"I hate you guys sometimes." Neptune said banging his head on the table

"Where's Mercury?" Ares asked

"He's on the balcony." Artemis said looking at Mercury out on their balcony "He's had a lot on his mind recently."

"We all have a lot to think about." Ares said looking over at Neptune

"But now isn't the time to think about that just yet." Mercury said closing the door that leads out onto the balcony "We can relax and enjoy the rest of our first semester."

"I like that idea." Artemis said as she finished stitching Ares's back "You're all done."

"Thanks." Ares said standing up and walking over to his bed

Mercury went into the bathroom to change into his sleep attire. He removed his shirt and looked at his chest in the mirror. He ran his hand over a wound across his heart and heard the door open. Artemis walked in and looked at him.

"You alright?" She asked him

"Yeah," He told her "just looking at an old wound."

"How did you get that?" She asked running her hand over his wound

"When I was in high school our school was attacked. I was shot and the bullet stopped right above my heart." He told her "So when the removed the bullet, they had to leave behind a huge scar to remove it properly."

She hugged him immediately after. She felt her hand touch something warm on his back, she removed it and saw her hand covered in blood.

"Mercury, you're wounded." She told him

"I was hoping you wouldn't notice." He replied showing her his back "I guess one of the bandits got a lucky swipe at me."

She cleaned the wound and then stitched it up. After that she spun him around and kissed him.

"Get changed so I can sleep. I'm not sleeping in this." She said gesturing to her combat attire still on

"Alright." He laughed as she left and closed the door

He put his gray fleece pajama pants on and walked back out into the room. Ares was sound asleep on his bed, so was Neptune. Artemis walked past him into the bathroom and closed the door.

"No peeking." She said locking it

Mercury laughed and walked over to his own bed. He climbed into it and plugged his phone into his charger. He saw a message from Ethan, wondering what it was he opened it.

 _We're striking on the day of the winter formal. Prepare for the fight of your life._

 _~Ethan_

"That crazy bastard." Mercury said

"What about Ethan?" Artemis asked climbing into bed next to him

"He was just telling me about an idea he had." Mercury lied as he put his phone back on the charger

He rolled over and faced Artemis, she had her silver nightgown on. She snuggled up close to him and she fell asleep as he held her close to him.

Pyrrha and Ethan left the clothes shop and looked at all the bags they had.

"I love how we were supposed to be shopping for me." Ethan said lifting up the one bag of his "But instead we bought you a bajillion things."

"I'm a girl." Pyrrha laughed as she kissed him "Deal with it."

"We should go put these in our room before we go shopping for the materials we need." Ethan recommended

"Or we can have them delivered to our mailbox." Pyrrha told him "I'm still a bit iffy about getting on an airship."

"We'll do that then." Ethan said as they began walking to the crystal store

"So what do we need to get?" Pyrrha asked him

He handed her the two bags he had in his right hand and pulled out a folded up piece of paper he had in his pocket. Unfolding it he read off the list.

"We need a ruby stone, about five pounds of quartz dust, and a flux capacitor." He told her "I ordered the last one online, so we just need the crystals."

"We need all of this for a portal?" Pyrrha asked he put the piece of paper away and held her hand

"Well, it does take a lot of power to stabilize the portal. Plus our contact on the other side will open the portal on their end. Allowing us access." Ethan said as they approached the crystal shop

"So who is this contact of yours?" Pyrrha asked as they entered the shop

"That is to remain secret." He smiled at her as they approached the clerk

"What can I do for you two today?" The clerk asked

"I'm just browsing for when the night descends." Ethan said slipping him the list

"And the sun will rise when the raid has ended." The clerk responded looking at the piece of paper "I'll be just a minute."

"What was that all about?" Pyrrha asked him as the clerk went into the back of the shop

"Night Raid's ties run deep throughout this town." Ethan responded "It's easy to get anything if you know the right people."

"That's interesting and scary at the same time." Pyrrha told him

The clerk returned with a box, he opened the top and showed Ethan all the contents.

"I assume you know what this is for?" Ethan asked closing the box

"He told me yesterday that you would be coming in and to prepare the following items." The clerk said "Just be careful kid. These people aren't afraid to kill you and take your powers."

"I'll be careful." Ethan said taking the box and leaving the store

Pyrrha followed him out and they began their walk back to the airship. They walked inside and took their seats. The ship lifted off and flew back to Beacon. Pyrrha had her eyes closed the entire trip, not wanting to relive past events. She was snapped out of her trance when she felt Ethan's hand wrap around hers. She opened her eyes and smiled at him, knowing he was there for her when she needed him to be.

The airship landed and the ramp opened, allowing them to leave. Ozpin met them as they walked down the ramp.

"Mr. Belladonna." Ozpin greeted him "I see you have the materials we need."

"Here ya go." He said handing Ozpin the box "Tell Neptune I'll be down there to help him soon."

Ethan and Pyrrha made their way back to their room. Ethan went to open the door, but Blake opened it before he could.

"New clothes?" She asked pointing to the bags

"One of these bags is mine." He said entering the room "The other 3 are Pyrrha's."

"I'm a girl. I need my clothes." She said following him into the room

"Where's Ren?" Ethan asked putting the bags down on his bed

"He went with Neptune to go work on their top secret project." Blake said "I assume you'll tell me all about it later."

"Yeah, I told Ozpin I would be over there soon to help out." Ethan told her

"Better go then. Don't want Neptune to send you to the wrong dimension." Blake teased

"Knowing him he will, even if we do it properly." Ethan said leaving the room

Pyrrha started to put her clothes she just bought away, when Ares ran in.

"You gotta hide me." He said panting

"Wait why?" Blake asked "What's wrong."

"Blaire's pissed. Like about to kill me pissed." He said

"What did you do wrong on your date…" Blake said "Oh, shit."

"Yeah, I forgot to tell her I had to rescue you guys." Ares said "Now please just hide me."

"Hide under Ren's bed." Pyrrha said

"Thank you." He said hiding under his bed

Blaire stormed in and saw her friends.

"Have either of you two seen Ares?" She asked angrily

"Nope, what did he do?" Blake lied

"He stood me up last night." Blaire said "And with no explanation!"

"Did you not hear then?" Pyrrha asked her standing up "Our airship crashed yesterday in the forest. He, Ethan, and Mercury came to our rescue. He took quite a beating too, he had cuts all up and down him."

"I guess I'll tell him I'm sorry for overreacting then." Blaire said "If you see him, tell him to find me."

With that she left and a sigh of relief was heard from Ares. He crawled out from under the bed and stood up.

"I guess I owe you guys." Ares said

"You also owe that girl an apology." Blake said "She deeply cares for you. Now go track her down and apologize for not telling her you had to rescue us."

Ares ran out the room and Pyrrha just looked at Blake.

"What?" Blake asked her

"That was a whole new side of you that I've never seen before." Pyrrha said as she hung up another dress she bought

"I've used that on Ethan to get him to finally make a move on you." Nora said entering the room

"Nora, how long have you been there?" Blake asked her

"I may or may not have told Blaire I saw Ares run into your room." She said smiling "So the whole time."

Blake sighed and sat down on Rens bed.

"So now what?" Nora asked "We should go mess with Blaire and Ares!"

"Alright, lead the way." Blake sighed as they followed her out

"So what's wrong this time?" Ethan asked as he Neptune got in Ozpin's elevator

"The stabilizer isn't working the way it's supposed to be." Neptune said pressing the basement button "The connection is being wonky. It'll stabilize for about 15 minutes then break the connection."

The door opened and they walked out into the secret basement they had for their project. Ren and Mercury were standing around the stabilizer when they walked in. The stabilizer looked like a bomb if you just looked at it. It was when you got closer that you saw the real features on it. It had a crystal dome at the top, with a tube going to the oval steel frame that would act as their portal. Wires were running all over the device as they had to connect to a power source, which was currently the school's generator.

"So what's not working?" Ethan said kneeling down to look at the stabilizer

He produced his sonic screwdriver and scanned the dome, then the rest of the device.

"The power source is receiving power from the generator. Our problem lies with in the fact that the power isn't being sent throughout the rest of the machine. We've tried to locate the problem but are having some trouble." Neptune said as Ethan kept scanning the device

He read the results from the screwdriver and stood up.

"Our problem is the in the power matrix. It's redirecting the power back out into the generator instead of into the catalyst, or the ruby gemstone. Where's the code for this?" Ethan asked Mercury

"Right over here." He said leading Ethan to a desktop setup they had going on down there "I've scanned every line and can't find the problem. It should be working fine."

"Maybe the problem is the matrix itself." Ren said removing his shirt due to the heat "We could have installed it wrong."

"Would it be a problem to reinstall it?" Ethan asked wiping sweat off his forehead

"We can do it easily." Neptune said as he tossed his shirt aside "It'll just take a day or two."

"Get started on it. I'll look over the math and see if I missed anything." Ethan said getting back in the elevator

The door opened and Ethan walked out into Ozpin's office. He froze as he saw Ozpin talking to the rest of the girls. They all looked at Ethan as he stood there frozen.

"Mr. Belladonna. What a surprise." Ozpin said

"I don't remember you scheduling a meeting." Ethan said slowly making his way towards the door

"Don't worry, this only concerns the women of your three teams. We had to do some team shifting." Ozpin said and Ethan froze

"Team shifting?" He asked "You mean you're swapping people."

"Exactly. Which is why Blake and Pyrrha shall be taking Nora and Blaire's spots." Ozpin told him "While you take Artemis's spot on her team. Ren will then be joining you boys also."

"What!?" Ethan and Blaire exclaimed at the same time

"You won't need to adjust living situations, just you will be a part of a new team." Ozpin said "Now Ethan, go make sure this device of yours works."

Ethan threw his arms up in the air and walked out, Pyrrha followed him out. He turned right and punched the wall.

"He's swapping teams? Is he really that dumb?" Ethan asked looking at the hole he created in the stone

"Since when were you that strong?" Pyrrha asked him

"I've always been this strong." He said straightening his back "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some calculations to check."

With that he left and Pyrrha walked back inside Ozpin's office.

"How's he holding up?" Blake asked her

"He just created a hole in stone." Pyrrha said "With his bare fist. Something's wrong."

Ethan sat in his class and checked his pages of calculations. He couldn't find the problem. That was when it hit him, they could revise the plan. He pulled out a new sheet of paper and wrote down the new plan. When he was done, he stood up and ran back to Ozpin's office. The girls were gone and Pyrrha was the only one who remained there.

"Ethan?" She asked as he entered

He walked up to Ozpin and handed him the sheet of paper.

"This is the new plan." Ethan said "We're doing this with or without your approval."

Ozpin read it and looked up at Ethan.

"You don't mean to do that." Ozpin said standing up "That's unorthodox."

Ethan picked back up the paper and put it in his pocket.

"What's unorthodox is wasting this perfect opportunity we have." Ethan said raising his voice "We're taking this chance!"

"If you do it," Ozpin said "you're on your own."

"We've been on our own." Ethan said getting in the elevator and taking it down

He walked out into the basement and saw them fixing the transmitter.

"What's up Ethan?" Neptune asked wiping sweat from his forehead

"I made a plan to end this once and for all." Ethan said as they all walked over to him "We all signed up for the worst. And this is it."

They all read the plan and looked back up.

"It'll work." Ares said

"Definitely." Neptune agreed

"Ren will do part A, while Neptune and Ares do part B. During all of this Mercury will be doing part C." Ethan said as they received their orders "Now, lets fix this thing."

They got back to work fixing the stabilizer, while Ethan read over the plan one more time. This was going to work.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 40

The winter formal was upon them, the past couple months were spent training and fixing the stabilizer. Ethan rarely saw his old team or his friends. He was spending all his time making sure the stabilizer was working. They did some test runs and made sure they were able to go back and forth. During these test runs, they would send a team member inside and either place materials they would need for the plan, or do reconnaissance. They had the plan worked out to the letter, nothing was going to stop them.

Ethan woke up that morning at 5:00. He climbed out of bed and changed his clothes. Putting on his jeans and gray t-shirt he looked around the room. He saw Pyrrha sleeping, or so he thought, and Blake had a book over her face. Ren was changed and had his green trench coat on. Ethan put his grandfather's coat on and followed Ren out into the hall. Pyrrha heard the door open and decided to follow them. They arrived at Ozpin's office and met up with the rest of Ethan's team.

"We ready?" Mercury asked

"I think so." Ethan said as they entered the office

They got in the elevator and took it down to the basement. Pyrrha waited for them to send it back up, and sure enough it did. She got in and took it down to the basement. The door opened and she saw them standing in front of the portal. It was on, but the connection was yet to be linked.

"I knew you were following us." Ethan said turning around to see her

"You're just leaving like that?" She asked moving closer to them

"It's a mission. Pyrrha and this is our job." Ethan told her "You knew that this was my occupation long ago."

Mercury walked over to a lever and pulled it towards him. The portal connection was linked and a basement appeared on the other side.

"Connection's linked." Ares said "See you on the other side."

He walked through and appeared in the basement. They had stashed all their weapons there ahead of time. Ares picked up his spear and slung it over his black trenchcoat. Neptune went in next and grabbed his weapon, then doing the same. Ren looked back at Pyrrha and then walked inside the portal.

"When are you coming back?" Pyrrha asked him "I haven't seen in you forever. I've missed you."

She hugged him and he hugged her back.

"I promise I'll be back soon." He told her "But for now I need you to not worry."

She kissed him and smiled.

"I trust you." She said "Let me come along though."

"Sure thing." He said as she left to go get changed

Ethan walked through the portal and stood near the lever on the other side. Pyrrha walked out ready for combat, when she saw him on the other side. He threw a little black box through the portal and she caught it. Ethan pulled the lever and shut the portal off on their side.

"Take care of that for me." Ethan said through the portal

"Let's go." Ares said as he handed Ethan Cross Tail

He put it on and turned his back on the portal. They walked up the stairs and appeared in their allies house. Zest was sitting on her couch when she heard her basement door open. She turned around to see Neptune walk out followed by the others.

"Where's Mercury?" She asked them

"He stayed behind." Ethan said "We'll need him for part C."

He handed her the plan and they left the house.

The demon realm was a lot similar to the normal world. The main capital looked exactly like the Capital during Night Raid's original days, with Akame and them. Ethan and the others walked out onto the street and saw that majority of the demons looked human, but had small subtle features.

"Where's the palace?" Ren asked

"Up there." Ethan said pointing to the Imperial Palace up on top of the hill

"That place is heavily fortified." Ares said "How do you plan to get in there?"

"I'll get in. I just need you three to do your jobs." Ethan said "Let's go."

They made their way to the gate of the Imperial Palace. Two guards went to stop them, but quickly found their heads separated from their bodies. Ethan's wires retracted back into the spool as they kept walking up the path.

"You three go that way." Ethan said pointing to a door leading inside the palace "He should be out in the garden right about now. I'll meet him there."

They nodded and ran through the door, leaving Ethan alone as he continued to walk towards the Imperial Garden. He arrived and saw Ragnarok staring out through the fence over the city.

"You finally showed yourself." Ragnarok said running his hand through his black hair and fixing his tie on his suit

"Sad to see you're still kicking." Ethan said "Guess we'll have to change that."

Ragnarok produced a black sword as Ethan threw his wires at him. He cut them down and stared at Ethan. Ethan ran at Ragnarok and kicked him, hitting his side Ragnarok flew across the garden and into a tree. He stood up and wires wrapped around his throat. He quickly cut them as three of his guards entered. Ethan threw his wires at them, he killed one and rolled to dodge another. Pushing himself off the ground he landed on the second guard and snapped his neck. He picked up the guards spear and threw it at the third guard. It went through his throat and killed him, Ethan kicked up the first guard's spear and caught it. He twirled it and rushed Ragnarok, he attacked and was blocked. Ragnarok kicked Ethan back into the stone wall. He rushed Ethan, but found his legs entwined with wires as he fell down. Ethan jumped into the air and brought the spear down as he landed. Ragnarok rolled to the side and cut the wires wrapped around his legs. He stood up and pointed his sword at Ethan. The blade glowed purple and fire shot from it at Ethan. He used his wires to pull himself up onto the roof and stood there. Ethan was running dangerously low on wires and was running out of ideas. He closed his eyes and let his wires act by themselves, they launched themselves at Ragnarok. He cut them down but they kept coming at him. After a while the barrage stopped, and Ragnarok smiled. Ethan shot open his eyes to block Ragnarok's attack. He punched him in the side and kicked him off the roof. Ethan landed on the ground and saw Ragnarok jump into the air. Ethan threw his wires at him, but Ragnarok cut them down. Ethan rolled to the side and dodged his sword landing into the ground. Ragnarok grabbed Ethan and threw him up into the air. He activated his bat wings and flew up to grab him. Ragnarok grabbed Ethan's throat and held him in the air, beneath him his guards were making their spears from a little teepee down below. Ragnarok smiled and dropped Ethan. He fell and tried to throw his wires to attach to the roof and buy him more time, but nothing came out. He face upward and closed his eyes. He felt three spears pierce his body as he landed on them. His last thought was of how he told her he would be coming back. With that in his mind, Ethan died then and there.

Pyrrha opened the black box and saw the ring of Knight's Fall, attached was note.

 _I need you to keep this safe for me. It has healing capabilities on the wearer. It's even been known to bring someone back from the dead. I trust you to hold onto this for me._

 _~Ethan_

Pyrrha closed the box and saw Artemis walk out the elevator.

"Pyrrha, go with Artemis and prepare for the dance tonight." Mercury said crouching down in front of her "I've got it handled here."

About five hours had passed between when they first entered the portal and now. Pyrrha stood up and followed Artemis into the elevator. They took it back up to Ozpin's office and walked out of the office.

Mercury walked over to the computer and pulled out his phone. He dialed a number and got a quick response.

"Is it in place?" He asked them

"Right in front of the DJ." Blake responded "Are you certain this plan will work?"

"Definitely." Mercury said as he pulled up the team's heart rates "Except we have a problem."

"What is it?" Blake asked

"Just get down here." Mercury said as he read the screen

Blake hung up and ran from the dance building all the way to Ozpin's office. She passed Velvet and Rosaria, who were talking about the dance that night. Blake ran into Ozpin's office and took the elevator down. The door opened and she ran over to Mercury, whose eyes were still in shock. Blake read the computer screen then covered her mouth with her hands. Mercury stood up and she hugged him, before sobbing into his shoulder. This was not how this was supposed to go at all.

The dance that night was at 6:00. Nora read her clock and saw that it read 2:30. She rolled over in her bed and eyed her pink silk dress.

"When are the boys getting us?" Rosaria asked as she did her hair

"I have no clue. I think we're meeting them there." Velvet said as she laid her dress out

"I'm excited for today!" Nora said "We get to dance and have fun!"

The room broke out in laughter. Pyrrha heard them laughing from her room. She sat on Ethan's bed holding the ring box he gave her.

" _Take care of that for me"_ Kept ringing in her head the more and more she looked at it. She knew he would never leave her behind, but she was curious as to why he gave her his ring. Artemis had entered her room and saw Pyrrha on his bed.

"You want me to help you get ready for the dance?" Artemis asked her holding up a brush

"Can you?" Pyrrha laughed as she wiped a tear away

"Don't worry about them." Artemis said as she sat next to Pyrrha and began brushing her tail "Worrying makes it worse, you just have to trust that they'll come back."

It was at times like these that Pyrrha was glad she had her friends

Ragnarok looked at the body of Ethan, still on the spears. He smiled and looked at his guards.

"Prepare his body for transport." Ragnarok said "We're going to deliver a message to the next realm."

The guards removed his body but were quickly killed. Ren stood in front of Ethan's body and the guards fell dead to the ground. Ragnarok summoned his sword and attacked Ren. In a quick slice, Ren's chest was cut open and he fell to the ground.

"That'll teach you to mess with me." Ragnarok said dematerializing his sword

More of his guards came out and picked up Ethan. They took him inside and Ren opened an eye. He sat up and looked at his shirt. He removed the wire armor that Ethan gave him and the fake blood packs. The plan had changed, Ethan was dead. But they still had an objective, and they were doing anything to get it done. Ren stood up and went to find the rest of his teammates.

The dance was lively, as music was going and people were dancing. Discretely, in front of the DJ was a second portal frame. Blake was eyeing it as the dance went on.

Mercury sat in the basement and looked at the time. It read 6:30, and his part was to be done at 7:30. He pushed his chair away from the computer and saw Zest looking through the portal, she turned her side on and walked through.

"Hey Zest." Mercury said as he poured himself a cup of coffee

She walked over to him and poured herself a cup too.

"Are you ready to do your part?" She asked him

"I am yeah." Mercury told her

"So you're ok with the consequence?" She asked him in shock

"We signed up for this." He said sipping his coffee "It's an occupational hazard."

Zest sighed and sipped her drink.

"Now we wait." Zest said eyeing the stabilizer

Blake heard a sound and saw the portal open, Ragnarok stepped out and looked around the room.

"This is a nice place you have here Ozpin." He said looking at Ozpin

"What do you want?" Ozpin asked in return

"I came to deliver your assassin." Ragnarok said holding up Ethan's body and throwing it across the floor "He sucked for an assassin."

"Ethan!" Pyrrha yelled running over to his side

Ozpin pulled a sword out of his cane and aimed it at Ragnarok.

"You want to die old man?" Ragnarok said summoning his own sword "So be it."

Pyrrha held Ethan's body as the other students watched the two men fighting.

"Please don't have it be like this." Pyrrha sobbed "I need you here. With me."

Ragnarok had thrown Ozpin back into the wall, he was about to kill him when a gunshot went off. Ragnarok turned around to see Ares holding a revolver.

"You think you can kill me with a gun?" Ragnarok asked him

"I don't intend to use it on you." Ares said as Neptune walked out holding a boy hostage "I'll use it on him instead."

Neptune had the boy kneel and Ares aimed at the boy.

"You'd dare to kill my son?" Ragnarok asked in anger

"You killed my friend." Ares said "I see it customary to return the favor."

Neptune had his rifle out and was aiming at Ragnarok.

"This can go in one of two ways." Neptune said "Either we kill your son, or you two leave and swear to never come back again."

"I'd rather kill you all." Ragnarok said stepping closer

Ares pulled the hammer back on the revolver and looked at Ragnarok.

"One more move and I pull this trigger." Ares said "You don't want to test me today."

Blaire looked on in shock at the sight before her. Rosaria was next to her as they looked on. Rosaira had noticed one thing though, their eyes were filled with bloodlust. No amount of reasoning would get through to them.

"We have to stop them." Blaire whispered

"We can't." Rosaria responded "No amount of reasoning is going to get through to them."

Ragnarok sheathed his weapon and put his hands behind his head.

"You win." He said

"Now I can do my thing." Neptune said blasting Ragnarok with a shot from his gun

It shot his arm off and Ragnarok looked at them in anger.

"You're regenerative powers don't work here." Ren said walking out from behind Ares

He aimed StormFlower at Ragnarok, making the threat against him twice as menacing.

"You three think you can win against me?" Ragnarok asked

"Well we've done a good job at stalling." Neptune said "But seriously make up your mind buddy."

Ragnarok sighed in defeat.

"Give me my son and I promise to never come back to this realm." He said

Ares threw the kid into the portal and stepped aside, aiming at Ragnarok.

"Go on." Ares said gesturing for him to enter

Ragnarok walked past them and into the portal. Ren closed the portal from their side.

"Mercury you're good to go." Ares said into the earpiece

Mercury loaded up the program on a flashdrive and stuck it into the stabilizer.

"So what will this do?" Zest asked

"We wrote a program to destabilize the machine. Creating a singularity that will draw everything in the realm towards it." Mercury told her

"English?" Zest asked as they walked through the portal back into their realm

"A black hole." Mercury sighed as he closed the portal from their side "We're creating a black hole in your basement."

Zest's eyes went huge as she understood the plan.

"You mean to tell me, that I basically just helped destroy the demon realm?" She asked in shock

"Yeah, welcome to the team." Mercury said before tapping his earpiece "Ares, I'm all set up down here. Tell Neptune to give the order."

"Do it Neptune." Ares said

He pulled out what appeared to be a detonator and they looked into the portal.

"Hey dumbass!" Neptune called out

Ragnarok turned around and saw him holding the detonator.

"This is payback." Neptune said pressing it "See you in hell."

The stabilizer blew up and created the black hole. Almost instantly everything was sucked into it, including the only way to get into the demon realm for them. The portals closed officially and all that remained was an empty frame. The three of them slowly turned around and walked out of the room. Receiving stares and looks they had never gotten before, however, Rosaria looked at them like she normally did. They were her friends who would have done anything to save those they loved.

Ren walked over to Ethan and Pyrrha. He knelt next to them and looked at Ethan.

"Do you have that box he gave you?" Ren asked her

She pulled out of her purse and handed it to him.

"If we use this, there is no guarantee that this will be the same Ethan. It'll be whatever memory he uploaded into the ring should this happen." Ren told her "Are you willing to accept that?"

She nodded and he handed her the ring. She put it on his finger and a green aura surrounded Ethan. His wounds closed up and he sat up and kissed Pyrrha, before falling back down onto the ground. The green aura went away and the ring disintegrated. He slowly sat up and looked around the room.

"What the hell?" Ethan asked "Ren, where are we?"

"You died Ethan." Pyrrha told him "You're with your friends."

"In the afterlife?" He asked her

"No silly, in your life." She said hugging him

"Ok then." Ethan said standing up "I'm going to go take a shower and go to bed."

He began to leave when Blake followed him, trying not to step on her black dress.

"Ethan, what are you doing? Your girlfriend just saw you wake up from the dead and you don't want to spend any time with her?" Blake asked grabbing his arm

"Blake, what are you talking about?" He said looking at her "You're making no sense. I don't have a girlfriend."

Pyrrha overheard this and she covered her mouth in shock, as she started crying.

"What do you mean? Yes you do Ethan!" Blake told him

"No I don't Blake!" He said raising his voice "I'm an assassin. I don't get the opportunity to have a girlfriend when you're in my line of work. I still have to figure out what the hell is going on here."

Blake stepped back and looked at her brother.

"Just come see me when you got it all figured out." She told him

"Sure thing sis." He told her leaving for Ozpin's office

He opened the door and found his team in there.

"Mr. Belladonna, how nice of you to join us." Ozpin said from his desk

"Could someone explain what we just did? Pyrrha said something about me dying." Ethan said walking over to them

"Drink this." Ares said handing him a shot glass with a golden brown liquid in it

Ethan drank it and grabbed his head.

"Wait, so Blake wasn't lying?" Ethan asked them

"Did you just get all your old memories back?" Neptune asked

"Just a few of them." Ethan said "I figure the rest will come back in due time."

"They should with that drink you had." Ares said "Anyway, we have bigger fish to fry. Mainly seeing as how we just destroyed the demon realm."

"I liked that part of the plan." Ethan said "I got rid of my demon side through my death."

They all looked at him as he stood there.

"What?" Ethan asked "I said some of them."

"You lying sack of shit!" Ren said "You're the same as you were before!"

"Of course I am! As I fell I uploaded the memory!" Ethan exclaimed "But that isn't to leave this room."

"Why? The life you had before was so much fun. You had a smoking hot girlfriend." Mercury said

"Key word there, had." Ethan said "She's not going to want to be with someone like me anymore. Who, without blinking an eye, called for the destruction of the demon realm and millions of lives."

"We're talking after this." Ren told him as the meeting continued

Pyrrha smiled as she knew that her Ethan was still there, but felt sad that he thought that. She decided to go to her friends and get a plan to show him how much she still cared for him.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 41

Ethan sat in his room at the desk doing his essay that was due the next day, which happened to be Friday. Second semester had started, and the teams were back to normal. Except for the fact of where Ethan and Pyrrha were still on the rocks. She was sitting at the table eating a piece of cake she got from the cafeteria and tapping her foot, very loudly too.

"Would you stop that?" Ethan asked

"Stop what?" She asked in return with a huge grin on her face

"Stop tapping your foot." He said facing her "I'm trying to write my essay."

"I'm already done with that." She said eating a bite of cake

"Well not all of us are as smart as you." Ethan said returning to his essay

She let some time pass before talking again.

"I heard what you said in Ozpin's office on the day of the winter formal." She told him

"Then you heard my valid statement." Ethan told her "Are you certain you still want to be with a guy who just sentenced another realm to their doom?"

She got up and walked over to him. She grabbed his shoulders and made him face her.

"You did what you had to do." Pyrrha said

"But I didn't Pyrrha." He said brushing her hands off "I could have easily just killed Ragnarok."

"Then why didn't you?" She asked

"Because I had to get the demon side out of me." He told her "By having him kill me, he absorbed my powers."

She sat back down at the table and looked at her cake. Ethan looked at her and sighed. He got up and walked over to her, before sitting next to her.

"Look," He said putting his hand over hers "Can I just have a week to figure out what I want to do? Then after that week, I will be 100% yours again. I'm not going to lie, I've missed you a lot. Maybe it was the stress of the mission we had back then, but something had changed about me."

"Well for starters you did punch a hole into stone." She laughed

"Sound like a deal?" He asked her as he laughed too

"Why not we just go back to being us?" She asked him

"There's still some business I have to wrap up." Ethan said "I just need a week."

"Alright then." She said "But one week, then you're taking me on a date."

"I'm looking forward to it." He said returning to the desk

She smiled and knew that he was back. Her Ethan was back and she was enjoying every minute of it.

The next four days went by quickly. Ethan had his class on Monday night, and they had their history class the next day. Wednesday was upon them and Ethan was in the library when Ren walked in and sat next to him.

"What's up?" Ethan asked closing his book

"We have a mission." Ren said "Some guy's been causing a lot of trouble in downtown Vale. We are to go and eliminate him."

"Finally!" Ethan exclaimed standing up "Let's do this."

Ren walked down the street following their target. Ethan was a few paces behind Ren, when he saw the target duck into a gun shop. Ren walked by the shop and Ethan walked into the shop. He had on his black suit and red tie. Ethan saw the target ask the clerk for a special delivery. He looked around the shop before taking the small parcel. Ethan walked over to the clerk as Ren continued following their target.

"What was in the parcel?" Ethan asked him

"I don't know what you're talking about." The clerk responded

Ethan walked behind the counter and grabbed the clerks arm, twisting it behind his back.

"You'll tell me what I want to know." Ethan said shoving the clerk's head onto the table

"Fine." He responded "He ordered a special made gun. Said he needed it to take out a specific person."

"Thank you." Ethan said snapping the clerks neck

He left the shop and walked in the direction Ren was travelling. He passed Velvet on her way to the doctors.

"Ethan?" She croaked

He pulled her aside and into a small jeweler's shop.

"What are you doing here Velvet?" Ethan asked concerned

"I'm on my way to the doctors." She said quietly

"I'll take you there." Ethan said putting a hand on her shoulder "The doctor's a good friend of mine."

Velvet sat in the doctor's office, Ethan next to her. He was reading an article on his phone. She looked over at him and started reading it.

"Best places to go hunting?" Velvet asked

"We never get to hang out. Figured why not we go bow hunting?" Ethan told her "Up north of here is a little mountain. We can have a camping trip."

Velvet smiled and heard her name called. They got up and walked down the hall. She lead them into one of the rooms and left to get the doctor.

"How do you know the doctor?" Velvet asked

"He treated my wounds from all my Night Raid missions." Ethan said as the door opened and the doctor walked in

She grabbed Ethan's hand and held it tight. She hates having to go to the doctors because of a nightmare she had one time. Ethan smiled at her and her grip loosened.

"Well now miss Velvet," He said walking over to her "what appears to be the problem?"

"My throat's been killing me and nothing appears to help." She said

"Have you tried doing the normal things that would help your sore throat?" He asked

She nodded and the doctor wrote down a prescription.

"Here is a prescription for some summer nectar." He said handing her the paper "Take it once a day in the morning for a week."

"Thank you." She said as he left the room

She let go of Ethan's hand and sighed in relief.

"Don't like the doctors much?" He asked

"I hate them. I had a nightmare and ever since then I couldn't go alone. I'm glad I ran into you." She smiled at him

"I'll walk you back to the airship." Ethan said as they left the doctor's office

They were walking towards the landing pad when Ethan's phone rang. He pulled it out and answered it.

"Hello?" He asked

"Ethan," Ren said "I've tracked them to the same warehouse we found the merchants at. You should get over here."

He hung up and looked at Velvet.

"Do you think you'll be fine getting back on your own?" Ethan asked

"I'll be fine." She said hugging him "Go save the world."

He nodded and ran off to where Ren said they were.

Ren was watching them as they talked. Four men were in the warehouse, their target, a politician who they planned on killing anyway, and two armed people. One had red hair and a mask over his eyes, while the other had his hair in a bun on top of his head and two tonfas on his back.

"I will not fight for your idiot cause." The red haired faunus said

"Damn it Adam," Their target said "We need the White Fang onboard otherwise our forces are outnumbered."

"The White Fang will not die for your idiot cause." Adam sneered "Delaney, take care of him."

"Gladly." Delaney said pulling his tonfas out

He pressed a button on the handle and a blade popped out from the bottom of each one. Delaney walked over to their target and killed him, by slitting his throat with a quick swipe.

"Geez Adam." The politician said "Was it necessary to kill him?"

"Made our job easier." Adam told him "Or would you rather the Templars lose their leader too?"

The politician was deathly silent as the threat reached his head.

"I thought so." Adam laughed

Ethan walked up next to Ren as they watched from the shadows on a catwalk. Delaney sheathed his tonfas and sat on a box.

"Why are we here Adam?" Delaney asked adjusting his coat

"Because we have nowhere else to be." Adam told him "I'm still waiting to get the plans for Beacon."

Ethan looked at Ren and activated Cross Tail.

"I can kill the politician." Ethan said "You want to deal with the other two?"

Ren held him back as Adam started talking again.

"I'm needed back at our base." He said "I will be taking my leave. Delaney can stay here if he wants. I really don't care."

Adam left the warehouse and got into a car outside. The car left and Delaney laughed.

"What an idiot." He said "If he just let me go in and get the plans I'd be more than happy to kill Ozpin."

"The plans don't involve killing him." The politician replied

"That's what we tell you." Delaney smirked "But the real plans are just being set in motion."

The politician began to leave when Delaney grabbed him and snapped his neck.

"I've done your job for you." He called into the shadows "You can come out now."

Ethan lowered himself down onto the ground and retraced his wires. Ren landed on the other side of Delaney and aimed StormFlower at him.

"Two versus one?" Delaney asked pulling out his tonfas and activating the blades "Bring it."

Velvet was standing outside the warehouse. She saw Adam leave and she hid in the bushes. Adam looked in her direction and swore he saw someone. He quickly shrugged it off and got in the car.

"That was close." Velvet told herself as the car left

She waited for a while to wait for Ethan and Ren to leave. But instead she heard fighting going on inside. Velvet ran out from her hiding spot and into the warehouse. She hid behind a crate as she watched Ethan and Ren fighting Delaney.

Ren ducked his tonfa and slashed at his legs. Delaney jumped over him and landed behind him. Ren quickly moved his guns so their blades collided. Ethan kicked Delaney in the side and sent him flying across the warehouse. He stood back up and twirled the tonfas in his hands. Ren fired at him, but Delaney moved to the side and dodged the spray of bullets. Ethan threw his wires at Delaney, but they were cut down. He cursed under his breath and rushed him. He jumped and landed behind Delaney. He pulled out a knife and attacked. Delaney blocked his attack and hit him in the gut with a blunt tonfa. Ren attacked from behind and slashed at his back. Delaney fell forward as he was slashed multiple times. Ethan jumped up and threw his wires at Delaney's neck as he fell. He cut the wires as he fell and landed on his back. Ren jumped up into the air and fired at him. He rolled to the side and dodged the spray. Ethan kicked Delaney in the side of the head and put him back on the ground. Ren walked over to Ethan and looked at Delaney.

"What do we do now?" Ren asked

"I don't know." Ethan said "Kill him?"

"Sure." Ren shrugged aiming his pistol at Delaney

He grabbed his tonfas and attacked Ren. Both had attacked at the same time, Ren fired and Delaney stabbed Ren. Delaney smiled as he pulled his tonfa out and fell back onto the ground. Ren stumbled back and collapsed onto the ground.

"Ren!" Ethan yelled as he ran over to his friend "Stay with me man."

"Shit," Ren laughed "dying sucks."

"You don't say." Ethan said looking back to see Delaney gone "The bastard got away."

"You'll get him." Ren said getting quieter "You always get them."

His breathing stopped and he died. Velvet walked up behind Ethan and covered her mouth in shock. Ethan closed Ren's eyes and stood up.

"We'll have to take him back." Ethan said looking at her "I'm not leaving him behind."

Velvet walked over to him and hugged Ethan.

"I'm so sorry." She said as she felt tears run down his face as he hugged her back

They remained there until Ethan got his composure back. He walked over to Ren's body and picked up StormFlower. He held them in his hands before he handed them to Velvet. Her veins glowed as she held the weapons. They went back to normal and she looked at Ethan.

"What was that?" She asked

"It's called your semblance." Ethan said as the weapons disintegrated in his hands "We all have one, but it takes some time to unlock it. I wonder what yours is."

He walked back over and picked up Ren's body. Velvet called Ozpin and told him they needed an airship at their current location. They walked outside and waited as an airship appeared and landed. They walked in and Ethan laid Ren on the ground. He noticed a pink beaded necklace under his suit. Ethan removed it and put it in his pocket, making sure to give it to Nora when he saw her. Velvet laid a white blanket over Ren's body and sat next to Ethan.

"Why him?" Ethan asked himself "Why not me?"

"Ethan…" Velvet said

"We should have left after we found out both our targets were killed." Ethan said standing up "Why did we stay?"

"Because you want to rid the world of evil, and killing him would have aided." Velvet said as he sat back down

"Can you tell me when we get back to Beacon?" He asked falling asleep on her shoulder

"Sure thing." She said patting his head "Sure thing."

She looked out the back and saw the sun beginning to set. It was the most beautiful sunset she's ever seen, but it had to be on the same day as Ren's death. She sighed and rested her head against Ethan's.

The airship landed at Beacon and Velvet woke up Ethan.

"Wakey wakey." She said as she shook him "We're here."

He yawned and stood up while stretching. Velvet stood up too and watched Nora run by the airship chasing Blaire. Ethan picked up Ren and carried him out of the airship. Velvet followed him as they walked down to the forest.

"Ethan?" she asked "What are we doing here?"

"We're going to bury him." Ethan said

"Bury who?" Nora asked hanging from the tree above him upside down

"Nora," Ethan said "I have some bad news."

"Did Ren eat strawberry ice cream again?" She asked booping his nose

Ethan set Ren down and looked at Nora seriously. She got down from the tree and looked at the covered body on the ground.

"Nora?" Blaire asked as she found them

"Blaire, text the others and tell them to meet us here." Velvet told her

"Ethan," Nora said "where's Ren?"

He reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out the necklace.

"I'm sorry Nora." He said handing her the necklace "I really am."

She took the necklace and looked at it. She closed her eyes as she started crying.

"Why now of all times." She said dropping to her knees

Ethan crouched down and hugged her. She threw her arms around him and sobbed into his shoulder.

"If you ever need anything," Ethan said "just tell me and I'll be there for you."

She nodded into his shoulder and he continued to comfort her as the others showed up.

"What's going on?" Blake asked seeing Nora and a covered body "No, please tell me it's not what I think it is."

"What is it?" Pyrrha asked her

"Ren's dead." Blake said "He's gone."

Ethan took Nora to join the others. The boys then began to dig a grave using shovels that Ethan had hidden in the forest incase this ever happened.

The moon rose high into the sky as the girls stood in two lines, one on either side of the grave. They made a coffin for Ren and had loaded the body into the coffin. The boys carried the coffin down the path and into the grave. They lowered the coffin and they all formed a semicircle around the grave.

"Ren was as badass as his brother." Ethan said "He will always be with us and dearly missed. May he rest well and join his ancestors in the honor of Night Raid."

The boys did a salute to their fallen comrade, before moving to cover the coffin.

After 15 minutes the coffin was buried and everyone except Nora, Ethan, and Velvet had left back for their rooms.

"I'm going to miss him." Nora said wiping her eyes "I must have seemed like a total girl when I was crying."

"You were exactly as how Ren would want you to be." Ethan said putting a hand on her shoulder "We should head back."

Nora looked back as they were leaving and she saw a Pink flower grow out of the ground. This caused her to smile as she knew that Ren would never truly leave her.

They arrived back at their rooms and Ethan walked into his. Pyrrha was sitting on Ethan's bed when he walked in. She stood up as she saw him.

"Are you ok?" She asked

He walked over to her and kissed her deeply. She returned his kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck as she felt his arms wrap around her waist.

"What was that?" She asked breathing

"That was a 'I miss you and I'm terribly sorry for anything I've done' kiss." He told her

She laughed and kissed him.

"We should get some sleep." He said yawning

She shoved him onto his bed and climbed in next to him. He wrapped his arms around her as she rested her head against his chest.

"Welcome back." She said falling asleep

He kissed her head and fell asleep shortly after.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 42

Ethan sat in his history class the following day next to an empty seat. Every now and then he would go to talk to Ren, but sigh when he saw him not there.

"Is something wrong Mr. Belladonna?" Professor Port asked

"Nothing I'm willing to discuss sir." Ethan responded

"I see then." Professor Port said as he returned to his story

Pyrrha noticed Ethan blanking out and turned to Nora, but instead Velvet sat next to her.

"Where's Nora?" Pyrrha asked her

"I told her that Blaire has a pet platypus." Velvet said "I need your help."

"With what?" Pyrrha asked

Velvet leant in and whispered in her ear.

"Can you help me with that?" Velvet asked her after moving away

"I sure can." Pyrrha smiled at her friend "But I need you to do something for me."

Ethan was walking to the library when Velvet caught up to him.

"We need to talk Ethan." Velvet said grabbing his arm

"Is everything alright?" He asked her

"You owe me a hunting trip. I was thinking we head up Friday after Class." She said smiling

"Sounds like a plan." Ethan said handing her Pyrrha's knife

She held the knife and saw her veins glow green then fade back to normal.

"What happened?" She asked as he took the knife back

"I'm doing some research right now." He said "And you're my guinea pig."

"No fair." Velvet said "Can I at least be a rabbit?"

"But Rabbit's are too cute to test on." Ethan said, then froze "Wait, that came out wrong."

"So I'm not cute?" Velvet asked pretending to be heartbroken

"What? I mean, yeah you are," Ethan said awkwardly "but we're good friends so I used the guinea pig analogy."

Velvet laughed and looked up at Ethan.

"You're too funny." She said walking away "I think I know why Pyrrha likes you now."

"What?" He asked turning around but couldn't find her

He sighed and decided to head back to his room. He wasn't walking for long when Ares walked up behind him.

"Hey!" He said walking next to him

"Hey Ares." Ethan said

"How you holding up?" Ares asked

"About the same as I usually am." Ethan said "Tired, exhausted, and sore."

"Wait, sore?" Ares asked with a confused look on his face

"Yeah, Velvet and I have been training at night since Ren's death." Ethan told him "I'm trying to understand her semblance and how it works."

"Have you even understood your own yet?" Ares asked him

"I can control Cross Tail." Ethan said

"I'm pretty sure that's a skill." Ares sighed "But oh well."

"Hey, if you don't mind me asking. How are you and Blaire doing?" Ethan asked him

"Well uh, that's kinda hard to answer." He said stopping and scratching the back of his head "We haven't really talked since the night of the winter formal."

"What happened on the night of…" Ethan said as he looked at his friend "Oh shit. Is she mad about that?"

"I think so? I mean, it's not everyday someone you like holds a gun to a kids head." Ares said pointing a finger gun at his head

"Let me talk to her." Ethan said "I'll get it sorted out."

"It's fine man." Ares said

"You sure?" Ethan responded

"Yeah, I'm doing fine." Ares told him "I've been doing better in school and our teamwork has gotten better."

"Hey, that reminds me." Ethan told Ares "Tell Neptune and Mercury we need to talk."

"All of us?" Ares asked as Ethan left for his room

"All of us." Ethan responded leaving

"Well," Ares said "I guess there really ain't no rest for the wicked."

Ethan walked into his room and saw Blake at their table, a cup of tea in her hands. Her cat ears perked up upon hearing the door open and seeing him walk in.

"Ethan," She said "you scared me."

"Well I have that effect on people." He said sitting next to her "You alright?"

"I haven't been feeling well these past few days." She said as he felt her forehead

"You don't have a fever." Ethan said retracting his hand "What's wrong with you then?"

"I've been extremely tired and sore. My throat's been killing me also." She said rubbing her throat "Hence the tea."

"Velvet had the same thing." Ethan said eyeing his sister "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." She said sipping her tea

"Have you kissed Velvet?" He said

She spat her tea out and looked at her brother. Her face was bright red from embarrassment.

"What?" He asked her

"Why would you say that?" She asked "You know Velvet and I aren't a thing."

"Not yet." Ethan shrugged

Blake smacked her brother's head and looked at him.

"Fine," Ethan said rubbing the spot where she hit "I'll drop the damn topic."

"Thank you." Blake said sipping her tea

Ethan stood up and walked over to his bed. He flopped onto his bed and lay there.

"I'm so tired." He said into his blanket

"Why?" Blake asked him

"I've been training with Velvet at nights. Trying to figure out her semblance and unlock it." He said raising his head

"Has she said anything about me?" Blake asked

"You have got to be kidding me." Ethan said rolling over and sitting up "So it's ok for you to talk about it?"

"Well, you're not the one hitting on her dumbass." Blake said sipping her tea then standing up

She sat down next to Ethan on his bed and her put his head on her shoulder.

"What would I do without you." Ethan said

"You'd be dead by now." Blake laughed

Ethan looked over at Ren's bed and sighed.

"You miss him?" Blake asked

"Yeah." Ethan replied "A lot too."

"He was good friend to all of us." Blake said

Pyrrha walked in and saw them. She walked over and sat next to Ethan. She held his hand and put her head on his shoulder.

"Of course I'm the main support." Blake laughed

"You should be team leader." Ethan told her

"Why do you say that?" Pyrrha asked him

Ethan stood up and walked over to Ren's bed.

"He died because I gave the order to attack." Ethan said facing them "Blake can get better results that don't result in people getting killed."

"Ethan," Pyrrha said standing up "he knew the risks. That's what you told me about Darren too."

She hugged Ethan and he hugged her back. Blake walked over and hugged them too.

"Group hug!" Nora yelled as she hugged the group

"Nora?!" Ethan exclaimed as they fell over

They hit the ground with a loud thud and Blaire rushed into the room.

"What's going on in here?" She asked

"Nora did her famous group hug." Ethan said standing up "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

They left the room and went to the roof. They walked to the edge and looked out into the distance.

"What's up?" Blaire asked

"What happened between you and Ares?" Ethan responded "You two seemed so happy."

"You know what happened Ethan." She said "He held a kid hostage, and even threatened to kill him. Just to get at his dad."

"He was evil. That man would have killed all of us in the room and not even blinked." Ethan said walking away a few paces "Hell, he even killed me. Ares was simply doing what he had to do."

"But he could have done it a different way. Also, there was that thing where you also all destroyed an entire dimension." She told him

"I told him to do it." Ethan said

"What?" Blaire asked him

"I told Ares to do it." Ethan said walking back over to her "I gave him an order and he followed it. We're assassins Blaire, we all have to get our hands dirty and do some stuff we don't like. Ask Pyrrha about what happened to her boyfriend before me."

Blaire hugged Ethan and put her head on his shoulder.

"I'm just scared Ethan." She said "That one day he won't come back to me."

"We all have that problem." Ethan said hugging her back "But you need to enjoy life while you can. He still cares for you, he won't openly admit it but he does. Act on that."

"Thank you Ethan." She said kissing his cheek and running off

Pyrrha walked up to him as Blaire ran back down the stairs. Ethan remained frozen as he was surprised at what happened.

"Why are you so shocked a girl kissed you?" Pyrrha laughed

"Well," Ethan said "I wasn't expecting it from her."

"Have you found a teammate yet for the doubles round?" Pyrrha asked him

"Yeah," He said looking at her "Velvet and I agreed to team up."

"That's good. I teamed up with Blake." Pyrrha said "Nora and Blaire teamed up too."

"That'll be interesting." Ethan laughed "Nora with her bigass hammer and Blaire with her tiny dagger."

"So why did you let me win?" Pyrrha asked him

"What do you mean?" He asked "When did I ever let you win? I mean, you won when it came to me."

"Not what I'm talking about." She smiled

"Oh," He responded scratching the back of his head "you won fair and square. I'm just not that good a fighter as you."

"You had every opportunity to attack my weak spots. I even made some to see if you would attack." She told him "But you didn't."

"Pyrrha," He said walking closer to her "I may or may not have felt bad for dying and saying all that stuff. So I decided to let you win the tournament."

"But the match was unfair then." Pyrrha said "I was looking forward to fighting you at full strength."

Ethan laughed and fell onto the ground as he was laughing too hard. He regained his composure and stood up.

"Pyrrha, sweetie. If I was focused on fighting, you would be out in the first 30 seconds." He smiled at her

"Challenge accepted." She said "We'll have our fight next Friday."

"So I get to go hunting with Velvet this weekend, then I get to fight my girlfriend that Friday." He said "Sounds like a plan. What are the conditions?"

"I'm glad you asked." She said as a sly grin grew across her face

"Why do I even talk?" He sighed as he facepalmed "Let me hear them."

"If I win, you take me on the most romantic date possible." She said

"And if I win, you have to wear Rosaria's elvish armor for a week." Ethan said

"So you like that look?" Pyrrha smiled slyly

"Wait, that's not what I meant!" He called out as she left the roof "Damn it! Why do I say anything!"

Rosaria was with Neptune in the library. They were looking for a book when Pyrrha walked in. Neptune was on the ladder and Rosaria saw Pyrrha walk in. She removed her hands off the ladder to talk to her friend.

"Hi Pyrrha!" Rosaria said

"Hey Rose." Her friend responded "What's he doing?"

"He's trying to find a book on greek mythology." Rosaria said

"Then shouldn't you be holding the ladder?" Pyrrha asked her

Rosaria's eyes widened as she heard Neptune above her.

"Oh shit." He said as he fell down

"Neptune!" Rosaria exclaimed "I'm so sorry."

"It's alright." He said standing up "I'm just a klutz sometimes."

"That is true." She said kissing him "But you're my klutz."

"Oh, hey Pyrrha!" Neptune waved

"Hi Neptune. You alright from that fall?" She asked

"Yeah, I've been through worse." He said "One time Rose stabbed me."

"I said it was an accident." She sighed

"Sounds tough." Pyrrha laughed

"Indeed it is." Neptune smiled "So what brings you here Pyrrha? Looking for another shakespeare play to read?"

"I needed to ask… wait, how did you know I read shakespeare?" She asked

"Um…" He started but was saved when Mercury ran in

"Neptune, Artemis and I need your help." Mercury panted "She tried cooking and it didn't go well."

"Let's go before she burns the room again." He said leaving with Mercury

"Wow, that worked out too well." Rosaria laughed "So what's up Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha smiled at her friend before whispering in her ear what she needed.

Later that night, Velvet and Ethan were training in the courtyard. She jumped over him and landed behind him. He spun around and swung at her, she grabbed his arm and kicked his legs out. She sat on his back and crossed her arms.

"I win." She said

"Yeah," He coughed "Now can you get off my back?"

"Oh yeah." She said standing up "Sorry."

"You're improving on hand to hand." Ethan said as he stood up

"But you're still taking it easy on me." She said "Bring me a challenge."

"You want a challenge?" He asked her

"Hell yeah!" Velvet said jumping up and down in joy

"Hand me your sword." He said holding his hand out

"Huh?" She said confused

"Just hand me your sword and trust me." He said

She handed him her sword and he twirled it in his hand.

"Ready?" He asked her

"Umm can I rethink my answer?" She asked

"Nope!" He said swinging the sword at her

He swung at her side, and she blocked it with the dagger she was holding earlier. He pulled away and attacked again, this time he was blocked by one of Stormflowers blades. Velvet looked at her hands and saw the weapons she had. She also noticed her veins glowing green as she held them. The weapons were merely outlines that glowed green, but worked like actual weapons.

"What's going on?" She asked as she lowered her weapons

"We just unlocked your semblance." Ethan smiled putting her sword away

"But how?" She asked as the weapons dematerialized

"When I attacked you and you had no weapons, what went through your head?" He asked her

"Well, I was thinking I needed a knife to block the attack on my side. Then the knife you handed me earlier today popped into my head." She said "As for Stormflower, I remembered when you handed me them they day Ren died."

"So when you think of a weapon, you can create a hard light replica of it. Then wield it like an actual weapon." Ethan told her "I guess we're in the same boat. Except mine's using conjuration magic."

"You're not like the rest of us here aren't you?" Velvet asked

"I'm part Demon so I have a natural use of magic. But you," He said pointing to her "you're special Velvet. Never let anyone tell you otherwise."

"Thanks!" She said cheerfully

"Now time for the real fun." He said materializing Knight's Fall in his hand "You ready?"

She materialized Blaire's dagger and Pyrrha's knife.

"Bring it." She said

He rushed her and she rushed him. Their blades connected and sparks flew, the battle was on.

Ethan was helping Velvet back to her room, with his arm around her shoulder as she leant on him for support. During the fight she landed on her foot weird and twisted her ankle.

"You sure you'll be alright?" He asked her "You can stay with us if you need to."

"I'll be fine." She said opening her door "Thank you for helping me get back."

"Anytime." He told her "I'll take a better look at it tomorrow. You gotta be ready for that hunting trip."

Velvet looked at him and laughed.

"I forgot about that." She laughed

"Well, then." Ethan said "I guess I'll help you inside."

They walked inside and noticed the rest of her team asleep. Ethan helped her over to her bed and she sat on it. Ethan lifted her foot up carefully and placed it on her bed. She laid down and smiled at him.

"What?" He asked smiling back

"You're really cute. Did you know that?" She said yawning

"Get some rest kiddo." He said kissing her forehead "We have a long weekend ahead of us."

"Good night." She yawned before falling asleep

Ethan stood up and walked out of their room, carefully closing the door behind him. He felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around his waist.

"You're a nice guy Ethan." Pyrrha said

"I guess I am." He said "How ironic is it that an assassin is a nice guy."

"Well that's what I adore about you." Pyrrha told him "You should get some sleep."

"I will." He said as they entered their room "I just need to change first. I'm all sweaty from training."

"Go change." Pyrrha said pushing him into the bathroom "I'll wait out here."

"I kinda need my clothes Pyrrha." He said walking back out

"No one said you did need them." She smirked as he reached his dresser

"Well I'm saying I do need them." He said grabbing his pajama pants and walking back into the bathroom

He closed the door and changed quickly. He walked back out and couldn't find Pyrrha.

"Pyrrha?" He asked looking around the room

"I'm right here Ethan." She said seductively

He slowly turned to see her laying on his bed wearing Rosaria's elven armor.

"What are you wearing?" He asked her

"I thought you liked the elvish look." She said sitting up

"I am so lost." Ethan said "Why are you wearing that is what I should be asking."

"I wanted to surprise you." She beckoning him over

"Well, I'm surprised." He said "But please change into what you usually wear. I like that a lot more better on you."

She got up and kissed him.

"Sure thing." She said walking into the bathroom to change

"You forgot your clothes out here." He said pointing to her clothes piles

"Why not you bring them in here?" She seductively said sticking her head out

He picked them up and threw them into the bathroom.

"I'll be out here if you need me." He said into the bathroom

She closed the door and changed. In the meantime, Ethan got a text on his phone. He opened it up and read the text.

 _We need to talk._

 _~M_

"Why does he need to talk?" Ethan asked himself

"What's up?" Pyrrha asked walking up next to him

"Nothing." He lied as he put his phone away "Just Mercury texting me on their group project status."

"They still haven't finished it?" Pyrrha chuckled

"Well, they've hit some complications." Ethan said "One of them being Artemis sneezed and sent glitter everywhere."

Pyrrha laughed as he climbed into her bed.

"See you in the morning." She said falling asleep

Ethan pulled his phone out and texted him back.

 _What do you need to tell me?_

 _~E_

He heard his phone buzz and read the text.

 _Your sister and Adam have a history. It's not a pretty one too, if he sees her he will kill her. Just wanted to let you know. Also, next time I won't go so easy._

 _~M_

Ethan shot him back a quick text before he closed his phone and turned it off.

 _Looking forward to it. Just keep me up to date on the plans._

 _~E_

Ethan closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. Wondering what he would get back as a response in the morning.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 43

Velvet woke up to see her team gathered around her bed. She sat up and looked around her team.

"Guys?" She asked "Why are you around my bed?"

"We wanted to make sure you would wake up in time for breakfast." Rosaria said pushing a strand of hair behind her ear

"We can't eat here?" Velvet asked

"Well," Blaire said "Nora kinda ate all the pancake mix."

"It was so good!" Nora exclaimed

Velvet sighed and got out of her bed. She carefully put her foot on the ground and winced in pain.

"Take it easy." Blaire said helping her stand "You need to stay off the foot."

"Ethan dropped these off for you." Rosaria said handing her a pair of crutches "Also, you might want to change out of what you trained in last night."

Velvet looked down at herself and saw her armor was still on. She hobbled over to her dresser and opened it up. She rummaged through some clothes and pulled out her clothes for the day. She threw them on her bed and into a small bag, that she often took into the shower with her.

"I'm going to go shower." Velvet said slinging the bag over her shoulder and walking out of the room

She turned left and walked to the girls locker room located on their floor. She opened the door and saw Pyrrha walk out of a shower with a towel wrapped around her body.

"Need help Velvet?" Pyrrha asked her

"I think I'm alright." Velvet said trying her hardest not to look at Pyrrha

"Is everything alright?" Pyrrha asked

"Yeah," Velvet said "it's just that your towel is slipping."

Pyrrha looked down and pulled the towel up. Velvet hobbled over to a bench and sat her bag down. She then removed her clothes and went into a shower. Pyrrha was watching her incase she fell and needed help to get back up. Pyrrha changed into her clothes and made sure that Velvet was ok before leaving. She walked out into the hall and leant her back up against the wall. She put her hands on her head and started muttering something she says whenever she saw a really cute girl.

"I'm straight I'm straight I'm straight I'm straight I'm straight I'm straight I'm straight I'm straight I'm straight I'm straight I'm straight I'm straight I'm straight I'm straight I'm straight." She muttered over and over again

"Well I'd hope you are." She said looking over to see Ethan with a towel over his shoulder and his hair wet "Otherwise that would be weird."

"What are you doing here?" She asked as her face turned red from embarrassment

"Well, for starters I saw you standing out here in your sports bra." He said "Then I heard you muttering your thing for whenever you see a cute girl. So who's in there?"

Pyrrha's eyes went wide as she looked down and noticed she forgot to put her chestplate on. She had every other part of her armor on except her chestplate. And to make matters worse, Neptune was standing not five feet away from them with his mouth wide open. He dropped the book he was carrying and Pyrrha hid behind Ethan.

"You alright Neptune?" Ethan asked raising his eyebrow at him

"You are the luckiest man alive." Neptune said bowing his head in shame

"We'll talk later Neptune. I have to make sure no one else see's her like this." Ethan laughed as they left

Velvet stuck her head out locker room door and saw Neptune standing there.

"Everything alright Neptune?" She asked walking out with a towel around her head

"Velvet!" He exclaimed looking up and covering his eyes

"What's wrong Neptune?" She asked

"You're naked." He said

Her face turned red and she ran back into the locker room.

"Why does this always happen to me." Neptune sighed picking up his book and continuing his walk to Rosaria's room

He arrived at her room and saw her waiting for him outside. She had her elven armor on and waved when she saw him.

"You ready for breakfast?" She asked him

"I just hope it's not as weird as the rest of my morning has been." He said handing her the book "Also, you left this in my room yesterday."

"I was wondering where that went." She said tossing the book into the room

"Hey!" Blaire exclaimed as the book hit her

"Sorry." Rosaria said as she closed the door

Velvet walked by them and her face turned red as she passed them and entered her room.

"What was that about?" Rosaria asked

"Long story." Neptune said as they left for breakfast

Ethan opened the door and saw them leaving. He looked back in and told Pyrrha the coast was clear. She ran out of her room and down the hall to the locker room. Shortly after entering she emerged wearing her chestplate. She walked back to their room and closed the door.

"You got it?" Ethan asked as he put on his grey shirt

"Yup." She said "I was all sneaky like."

"First off, never say that again." He laughed "And second, did you make sure no one else saw you?"

Blake entered the room and looked at them.

"Why did you forget your chestplate in the locker room?" Blake asked her

"Shit." Pyrrha muttered as Ethan fell onto his bed in laughter "Oh shut up."

Blake walked over to Ethan and handed him a letter.

"What the hell?" He asked reading who it was from "Why now of all times?"

"I don't know." Blake said "But I'd open it if I were you."

"Who's it from?" Pyrrha asked

"Let's just say it's our boss." Blake told her

Ethan opened the letter and read the content.

"They want to transfer me!" He exclaimed as he got off his bed "Oh hell no!"

"Why do they want to transfer you?" Blake asked

"They said because I called for the destruction of the demon realm that they want me transferred to Central." Ethan said "I'm going to talk to Ozpin about this."

He left the room and began his walk to Ozpin's office. On his way he saw Ares, Mercury, and Neptune join him.

"Let me guess," Ares said "They're transferring you to?"

"It's bullshit is what it is." Mercury said "Why us of all people!"

They arrived at Ozpin's office and opened the door. Professor Goodwitch was talking when they entered.

"Gentleman," Ozpin said "how may I help you?"

"Explain this." Ethan said tossing the letter onto his table

Ozpin read the letter and looked confused.

"I never told them about any of this." He said

"Then who did?" Ethan asked

They all looked around the room at each other before they heard someone talk.

"You honestly thought Night Raid wouldn't notice an entire realm being sucked into a black hole?" They heard

Ethan spun around and saw Delaney leaning up against the door frame.

"You told them?" Ares asked

"No, I never said a word." He said holding up his hand "Scout's honor."

"Then how the hell did they find out?" Ethan asked

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe Ren told them before he died?" Mercury asked them

"Ren wouldn't have done that." Ethan told them

"Also, isn't he the one who killed Ren?" Neptune asked pointing to Delaney

"I did yeah." Delaney said "But we all knew the risks when we signed up for this. I had to keep my cover intact and Ren knew that."

"So we just need to lay low and wait for this whole thing to blowover." Ethan said

"I don't think it works like that." Ozpin said reading the letter "It says here you need to leave the school and reside elsewhere."

"Where are we going to hide?" Mercury asked

"Well it also says you boys have an assignment." Ozpin further said "To track down and kill a man called Gil."

"So when do we leave then?" Ethan asked in defeat

"Says here you leave on monday." Ozpin said "I don't know when you'll be back. So make sure you tie up any loose ends."

Ethan and the others left. Delaney followed them out and Ethan turned around to face him.

"Protect them with your life." Ethan said "Don't let Adam near them."

"Relax kid, I got it handled." Delaney said leaving them

They all headed to the cafeteria and got breakfast. They sat down with the rest of their teams and started eating.

"Everything alright?" Blake whispered to Ethan

"I'll explain later." Ethan said as he ate a spoonful of cereal "But long story short, no."

They finished their breakfast and left for a new class they were in, Weapon History. It was taught in Ethan's classroom since his class ended last semester. The group of friends sat in the back row and started taking notes as the class started.

"Ethan," Blake said "what's wrong?"

"We have to leave on monday for an assignment. We don't know when we'll be back or if we'll be back." Ethan told her

"Who's the target?" Blake asked

"Man named Gil." Ethan said

"Be careful Ethan." Blake told him "Also, enjoy your hunting trip this weekend."

"I'm looking forward to it." He smiled at her

The class went on for another hour, before the bell rang for class to be over. Ethan stood up and walked out of the class. He waited for Velvet so they could plan their trip. She walked past him and she tripped. Ethan caught her and helped her stand.

"You alright?" He asked her

"Yeah, thanks for rescuing me." She said as she stood up

"Anytime Velvet." Ethan told her "So when should we leave for our trip?"

"Do you still think I can go with my ankle the way it is?" She asked him

"Why not we head back to your room. I have a trick I can show you." He said as they walked to her room

Pyrrha walked out with Blaire and saw Ethan and Velvet walking together.

"Is he cheating on me with Velvet?" She asked

"With Velvet? That would be funny." Blaire said

"Why would it be funny Blaire? He's cheating on me." Pyrrha told her friend

"He's not honey, trust me." Blaire assured her

"What makes you say that?" Pyrrha asked her

"Because Velvet is gay." Blaire dropped

"She's what?!" Pyrrha exclaimed

"Yeah." Blaire told her "She's gay. Totally into chicks. Ethan's not cheating on you."

"I guess that's good news." Pyrrha said

They headed to the library so they could get their homework done, and meet up with Nora and Rosaria. Blake was spending the rest of the day with Artemis at the town shopping. As for the other three members of Team Greece, they had a video game tournament at the school.

Velvet was sitting on her bed when Ethan removed the bandage and looked at her ankle.

"Looks alright." He said "Does it hurt to move it?"

She rotated her foot and winced in pain.

"Yeah," She said "it does hurt when I move it."

Ethan put his hand on her ankle and muttered a few words. His hand glowed red and so did her ankle. She looked down at her ankle and saw it glowing. Ethan removed his hand and looked up at her.

"What did you do?" She asked

"Healing magic." He said "Let it sit for a few minutes then you'll be good to go."

"So I was thinking we leave tonight." She said "How does that sound?"

"Sounds good." Ethan said "Make sure you pack winter clothing. We're going up into the mountains and it'll be snowy."

"So we'll camp in caves?" She asked

"Yup, it'll be a fun campout and hunting trip." He told her "Also, Artemis and Rosaria said we can borrow their weapons for the trip."

"So touch them and use a copy of them?" She asked

"You got it." He said handing her Rosaria's bow

Her veins glowed green and she set it next to her after she obtained the copy of it. Ethan handed her Artemis's bow and she did the same thing.

"Just take it easy on using your semblance." Ethan said "You're still getting used to it. It's going to drain your energy for a while."

"I think I can manage." She smiled at him

He stood up and sat on the bed opposite of her. Her ankle stopped glowing and she rotated her foot.

"It's all better now." She said "Thank you Ethan."

"Anytime Velvet." He said standing up and heading for the door "I'll meet you at the airship at 5:00?"

"Sure thing." She said as he left the room

She walked over to her closet and pulled out her backpack. She took it over to her dresser and started packing her clothes. When she was done she put it at the foot of her bed and picked up a book. She cracked it open and began reading.

Across the hall, Ethan was packing his backpack too. He removed his shirt and attached Cross Tail to his belt on his lower back. He put the gloves on and felt the wires snake up to the gloves and attach themselves into the metal fingertips attached to the the metal circle on the gloves. He flicked his wrists and the metal fingertips flew onto his fingers. Ethan smiled and deactivated Cross Tail. He put his shirt back on and opened his closet to look at his jackets. He saw his red jacket and his grandpa's jacket. He noticed the three holes and the blood stains on it.

"You alright?" Blake asked him from her bed

He jumped and looked at her.

"How long have you been there?" He asked clutching his heart

"For about a half hour. Artemis wanted to wish Mercury and his team good luck before we left for the town." She said jumping down from her bed "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just remembering what happened with Grandpa Lubbock's coat." He said

"Well, you survived." She said as he raised his eyebrow "Well for the most part."

"Yeah." He sighed

"So you ready for your hunting trip?" She asked pointing to his backpack

"Yeah, I just got to find out what jacket to wear." He said pointing to his closet

"Well if I know you, you'll pick the right one." She said "You usually have a good tendency to do that."

"Are you referring to Pyrrha?" Ethan questioned

"Maybe." Blake smiled "You two are just so cute together."

"Oh boy." Ethan sighed

Blake laughed and sat on his bed.

"Don't worry Blake." Ethan said "You'll be alright."

"I read the text Ethan." She said to him "I know Adam and the White Fang are in town."

"I'm sorry Blake." He said sitting next to her "I just wanted to protect you so I figured not telling you would be the best option."

"I'm fine Ethan." She said "I'm a lot more stronger than I was before I fought Adam the first time."

"Remember Delaney?" Ethan asked her

"Yeah, he was such a nice guy." She said

"Well he's here in town too. He'll be protecting you until we get back." Ethan said "His cover is deep inside White Fang, so he'll try his hardest to be there should you need him."

"Thanks Ethan." She said hugging him "Now finish packing."

He grabbed his red jacket and put it on him. He zipped up his backpack and looked back over at Blake.

"All done." He told her "Now what?"

"I get to go shopping." She said leaving the room "You can kill time on your own."

"You've got to be kidding me." Ethan sighed as the door closed

Velvet looked up from her book when she saw Ethan enter the room with his backpack on.

"You ready?" He asked her "We can leave earlier if you want to."

"Sounds good." She said closing her book and putting her backpack on "Let's go."

They left the room and headed to the airship. They were leaving 2 hours earlier than they planned on. They boarded the airship and it took off.

"How far away are the mountains" Velvet asked as she sat down

"About an hour or two away." He told her "I brought earbuds to kill some of the time."

"Oh shoot," She said feeling in her pocket for her earbuds "I forgot mine back on my bed."

"Well I have a pair of over ear headphones you can borrow." Ethan said as he got them out of his pack

"Thanks." She said as he handed them to her

"Also, we're going to have to parachute in." He told her

"What?!" She exclaimed "I just over a twisted ankle and now you want me to parachute in?"

"I'll be with you every step of the way." He said "Trust me."

"Alright then." She said "But don't we have to wear helmets?"

"I had to modify your's a bit." He said walking over to a set of helmets and and tossing her one

"Why are there two slots on the top of mine?" She asked holding the helmet

"Well, I had to account for your hidden features." He said walking back over to her

His hand glowed blue and he waved it in front of her face. Above her head, a pair of rabbit ears appeared and a rabbit tail appeared.

"Why'd you hide your true self?" He asked her

"I was bullied a lot when I was younger because of me being a Faunus. So I learnt illusion magic and used it to hide my features." She said "I'm sorry."

"It's fine Velvet." He said hugging her "And trust me when I say that anyone who bullies you know will face me, Blake, and Pyrrha. Also Nora can break their legs if you asked her."

Velvet laughed and Ethan sat down next to her.

"Now we have a lot of time to kill." He said "We might want to get some shuteye."

"I agree." She said leaning her head on his shoulder

Her rabbit ears ended right in front of Ethan's face. She sat up when she felt his breath on her ears.

"Sorry." She said

"It's fine." He laughed "It's going to take some getting used to."

"Yeah, I guess so." She said

Ethan pulled a pillow out and put it on his shoulder.

"That should do the trick." He said as she put her head on it

"Yeah, this works." She yawned as she fell asleep

Ethan put his head back and closed his eyes.

An hour later, Ethan woke up and proceeded to wake Velvet up.

"We're here." He told her "Turns out there's a landing pad."

"Oh thank the lord." She sighed "I hate heights."

"Come on then." Ethan said standing up and stretching his back "We have a hunting trip to go on."

"I have a feeling we're more or less artifact hunting." She said putting her backpack on as she stood up

"What makes you say that?" Ethan laughed

"Pyrrha told me." Velvet said as she walked next to him "I was actually reading about the same artifact too. You think it's here?"

"All the evidence points to here." He said as they got off the airship "Now let's find the path."

The pilot walked out and caught the two before they left.

"Radar spotted a huge storm coming in. There's a cave about a mile up the side of the mountain on the path. I'd camp there and wait the storm out." He said

"Thanks Jimmy." Velvet said

"You guys sure are one weird couple." He laughed as he walked back into the airship

"Wait! We aren't a couple!" Ethan called after him

"Whatever you say!" He said throwing his hand up in the air as he closed the ramp

"Let it go Ethan." Velvet laughed "We need to get to the cave."

They began walking along the path and their adventure began.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 44

"Where's the damn cave?" Ethan asked looking at the map "I'm 100% certain we walked a mile already. Plus it's been 2 hours already!"

"It should be just up ahead." Velvet said pointing to a small black hole in the distance

"Nice eyes." Ethan said as they walked towards it

"Thanks." She responded

They arrived at the cave and saw the sun start to go down. Ethan entered first to make sure it was deep enough to survive the storm. It was 50 feet deep, according to Ethan's estimate.

"We'll be fine in here." Ethan called back to her

She entered and walked over to him.

"Shall we get a fire started?" She asked him

"I'll go get firewood." Ethan said "Start on making camp."

He walked outside and saw a fallen tree near the cave entrance. He materialized Knight's Fall and started cutting the tree into logs. After about 10 minutes of doing that, he dematerialized his sword and used Cross Tail to pull the logs into the cave. Velvet saw him bring in the logs and she grabbed a few to start the fire.

"Do you have anything to start the fire with?" She asked

"Set it up first," He told her "then you'll see some real magic."

He dropped the logs near the fire pit she made and started to set up his sleeping bag. He heard the storm kick up outside.

"Um, Ethan?" Velvet asked looking behind her

"Yeah?" He responded

"We have company." She said

Ethan turned around and saw a pack of wolves enter the cave.

"Try not to use a firearm." He said "It'll cause an avalanche most likely."

She materialized Pyrrha's spear and held it like a sword while Ethan readied Cross Tail. The first wolf jumped at them and Ethan cut it up with his wire trap he had set. Velvet turned the spear into a rifle and took aim at the wolf pack.

"Velvet!" Ethan said as she looked at him

"I wasn't going to shoot." She said as a wolf jumped at them

Ethan threw his wires into it and threw it at the rest of its pack. It knocked them outside and Ethan retracted his wires. A wolf jumped at Ethan when he wasn't looking, Velvet aimed and fired. The wolf died and Ethan heard a rumbling sound above them.

"Oh shit." He said as they noticed the cave entrance become covered in snow

"I'm so sorry Ethan." Velvet said dematerializing Pyrrha's spear "I got us stuck in here."

"It's alright Velvet." He said "We'll survive."

"We'll run out of air though." She said

"Look at the ceiling." He said pointing to the ceiling "We have some natural light and enough small cracks to provide us with oxygen."

"I trust you have a plan?" She asked him

"I always do." He said "Well, not always. More like 25% of the time."

She smiled and went through her bag to find her sleeping bag.

"Wait," He said "I lied. More like 5% of the time."

"You're kidding." She said

"Nope!" He smiled as he continued to set up his small camp area

"Um Ethan?" She said

"What is it this time?" He asked her

"I can't find my sleeping bag." She told him

"What?" He asked "How could that happen?"

"You hid her sleeping bag?" Rosaria asked Blaire "Isn't that crossing the line?"

"She won't know I did it." Blaire responded "Besides, this is payback for using my makeup without asking."

"You have got to be kidding me." Rosaria sighed as she fell onto her bed "She is so going to kill you."

"Ok," Ethan said "you can have my bag."

"But you'll freeze!" She exclaimed

"I'll be fine." He told her "I'm used to this."

Velvet walked over to him.

"You and I are going to share a sleeping bag whether or not you like it." She said sternly

"Fine then." He sighed "Let's just get the fire started."

Ethan walked over to the fire wood and looked at it before looking back at Velvet.

"I have good news, bad news and horrible news." He told her

"Go in order." She said

"Good news, we're alive. Bad news we're blocked in here. Horrible news, the firewood is wet so it won't burn." He told her

"In survival situations there is a method that can keep us warm." Velvet said

"No way." Ethan said "Absolutely not."

"But it's our only option." Velvet said "We have no other choice."

"Fine then." Ethan said "But I'm keeping my underwear on."

Velvet turned around and so did Ethan.

"Why did this happen to me?" He asked himself as he started removing his clothes "Of all people."

He finished and looked around to see Velvet staring at him. Her face in shock as she saw the number of scars he had.

"You alright?" Ethan asked her

Her face turned red and she walked over to the sleeping bag. She zipped it open and she climbed in. Ethan got in after her and zipped it up. His face was extremely red as he felt Velvet's cleavage pushed up against his back.

"Velvet?" He asked

"Yeah?" She responded

"Do you mind facing the other way?" He asked nervously

"I could, but I'm a lot warmer this way." She said snuggling up closer to him "You would be too if you turned around and faced me."

"Nope." He quickly said

"Are you embarrassed because I'm in my bra and underwear?" She teased

"Cut straight to the chase don't you." He sighed

"Relax, would you?" She told him "This is a survival situation. It's literally life or death in this situation."

"Fine then." Ethan said turning around to face her

"That's better." She smiled as she put her head against his chest, her ears acting as a natural pillow

"Why do I swear I'm the victim here." He said quietly

"Ethan?" She asked him "Can you wrap your arms around me? I'm still somewhat scared of the dark."

He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"If you so much as breathe a word of this to anyone." He told her

"I promise I won't." She yawned as she fell asleep

Velvet opened her eyes feeling colder than usual. She didn't see Ethan in front of her, so she sat up and looked around the cave. He was standing at the entrance with Knight's fall in his hand, slashing away at the snow.

"Damn it!" He said stabbing the sword into the snow "It just won't budge."

"When did you wake up?" Velvet asked as she started to put her clothes back on

"About 2 hours ago." He replied "I wanted to try to clear the snow."

"Well, I have a feeling you'll figure out a way." She said

He dematerialized his sword and produced a fireball with his right hand. He hurled it at the snow and melted it all.

"Holy shit that actually worked for once." Ethan laughed

"See," She said packing up the sleeping bag "you found us a way out."

He walked over to her and picked up his backpack. She put the sleeping bag in hers and put it on.

"You ready to resume our journey?" Ethan asked her

"More than ever." She said cheerfully

They left the cave and began their trek back up the mountain.

Blake and Pyrrha were sitting in their room at the table. Blake had her book open and Pyrrha had a cup of coffee in her hand. Blake flipped the page and heard a knock on their door.

"What is someone doing up at 5:30 in the morning?" Blake asked annoyed

"Beats me." Pyrrha said sipping her drink "Which also brings up the question of why are we up at 5:30 in the morning?"

"I told you already." Blake sighed "We're waiting for a message from Ethan. They were hit hard by a snowstorm and we need to know they're alright."

"Then who's at the door?" Pyrrha asked

Blake sighed and closed her book. She stood up and opened the door.

"Why are you up at 5:30?" Blake asked

"I couldn't sleep." Nora said entering their room "Blaire made coffee last night, and I had at least three cups."

"So what did you do instead?" Pyrrha asked as Nora flopped onto Ren's bed

"I don't remember." She yawned "All I remember is seeing Ren."

She drifted off to sleep on his bed, Blake and Pyrrha staring at her.

"Well, I blame Blaire." Blake said returning to her book "She got Nora on a sugar rush."

Rosaria entered the room and saw Nora on the bed.

"There she is." Rosaria sighed "Did she cause you any trouble?"

"None yet." Pyrrha laughed "She just came in here and crashed on Ren's bed."

"So usual sugar hyped Nora then?" Rosaria asked

"Yeah, basically." Pyrrha responded

"Have you heard back from Velvet or Ethan yet?" Blake asked her

"The snow storm knocked out communications between us and them." Rosaria said "We can't reach them."

"That's not good." Pyrrha said worriedly "What if they get trapped on the mountain?"

"Ethan and Velvet will be fine. They have each others backs." Blake said

"I thought you had my back!" Ethan exclaimed as he threw his arms up in the air

"How was I supposed to know that an ice wraith was going to sneak up on us!" Velvet said back to him

"I told you before we came up this way," Ethan sighed "that ice wraith's are going to be sneaky bastards."

"I'm sorry." She sighed "I'll listen for them in the future."

"I'm not going to lie." Ethan said scratching the back of his head "I didn't hear it either."

Velvet threw a snowball at him. He threw one back at her and a snowball fight kicked off. Velvet was hiding behind a tree when Ethan ran by her. She pelted him with the snowball and he fell down.

"Ow." He said into the snow

Velvet laughed as he stood up. He walked over to her and stared at her.

"I'm sorry." She laughed "But you fell and it was kinda funny."

"Let's keep going." Ethan laughed too "We should make it to the next cave before the sun starts to set. Or if we're lucky we can hit the top."

"I'll go with luck." Velvet said "Let's aim for the top. I'd rather not sleep in a cave again."

"And here I thought I was the victim last night." Ethan laughed as they continued walking

"Don't get me wrong," Velvet said "you were very comfortable to sleep with."

"Oh boy." Ethan sighed

"But I'm afraid you just aren't my type Ethan." Velvet told him

"Oh, I know your type." He told her

"You do?" She asked him "Describe them then."

"They're a Faunus." Ethan started

"Correct." She informed him "Go on."

"Damn it Velvet," Ethan sighed "I know you like Blake."

"How'd you know?" She asked as her cheeks turned red

"Well recently I started to notice you two talk in class and during meals. I even saw you hug her and that's when I knew." Ethan told her

"I guess I'll back off then." Velvet told him

"Don't do that." Ethan said putting his hand on her shoulder "I like you two together. Besides, she may or may not be doing the same thing you are to her."

He paused before continuing.

"Yes, that was right." He said

"Glad to see you're on my side." Velvet laughed "How far away from the top are we supposedly?"

"Map says only about three to four miles out. But at the rate we're moving we should be able to make it by sundown." Ethan said

"Or we're here already." Velvet told him as she pointed to a stone door built into the side of the mountain

"What the hell?" Ethan asked walking over to it

He ran his hand across the door and noticed the Night Raid logo on it.

"This is a Night Raid base." He said "Let's see what's inside."

He opened the door and the two walked into the temple. Benches were in rows on the ground and along the walls were photos of Night Raid's first ever assassins. Ethan stopped in front of a picture of Lubbock and smiled.

"You know him?" They heard a girl say

Ethan materialized Knight's Fall and pointed at the speaker. She had blonde hair and knight armor, the only difference was she was a ghost.

"Who are you?" Ethan asked lowering his sword

"My name is Arturia." She said "My husband and I were buried here along with many of our comrades. Our spirits lived on and we keep the temple safe."

"Where is your husband then?" Velvet asked her

"I was watching from the shadows." Diarmuid said walking out "I've never seen you two before. May I ask who you are?"

"I'm Ethan Belladonna." Ethan said "And this is Velvet Scarlatina. We came across this temple on our voyage up to the top of the mountain."

"I see you are after Excalibur then." Arturia said

"Yeah, but we just want to acquire the weapon so we can use it in combat. Then we'd put it back." Velvet told her

"Then why are you putting it back?" Diarmuid asked "Why not keep the sword."

"We don't need it." Ethan said "We both have abilities that allow us to make copies of whatever weapon we touch. I use magic to create my weapons and Velvet over here uses hardlight copies."

"So you just need to touch it?" Arturia asked

"In a sense." Ethan told her "At least that's how we've known it works."

Ethan activated Cross Tail and looked behind him at the door

"Velvet, get behind me." He told her

"Oh no." Diarmuid said "Damn danger beast woke up."

The door burst open and a red eyed polar bear walked in.

"That's it?" Ethan asked "I was expecting more."

The bear stood up and looked at Ethan.

"I take back everything I said." He sighed "Velvet, let's go with the long range slingshot."

"I think I remember what that means." She said as she made her copy of Rosaria's bow

"Just follow my lead." Ethan said "If it becomes too much for you fall back and cover me."

Ethand and Velvet ran at the danger beast. The bear swiped his paw at Ethan, but he ducked and Velvet shot it's arm. Ethan jumped up and kicked the bear back. Velvet ran at Ethan from behind, he crouched and boosted her into the air as she jumped. She let three arrows fly at the beast, each one landing in it's chest. She landed and Ethan pulled her back using his wires.

"They're fighting is very in sync." Arturia noted "Almost as if they are synchronized."

"Arturia," Diarmuid said pointing to Cross Tail "that's Cross Tail. Lubbock's grandson is him then. The mystery is over."

Ethan rolled to the side and kicked the bears leg, Velvet slid next to Ethan and shot the bears leg.

"Switch!" Ethan yelled as he sprung off the ground and landed on the rafter

Velvet transformed the bow back into its staff. She smacked the bears injured leg and again in the arm. She spun the staff and kept attacking the bear in front of them. Ethan jumped down and landed on the bears back. He wrapped his wires around the bear's throat and slid down its back and landed on the ground.

"Now!" Ethan yelled

Velvet smacked the bear in the chest and sent it stumbling backwards. Ethan pulled and the bear was lifted up off the ground. Velvet jumped and kicked the bear out the door, the wires led to the decapitation of the bear. Ethan closed the door and retracted his wires, before turning around to see Diarmuid and Arturia looking at the two of them. Velvet stood next to Ethan as the two groups kept staring at each other.

"That was impressive." Diarmuid told them "You two are on a whole new level then when we were fighting. Granted you should have just stabbed the damn thing."

"Does it look like I have a blade on me?" Ethan said opening his arms

Diarmuid looked at Arturia and nodded. He materialized Gae Bolg and rushed Ethan. He materialized Knight's fall and blocked the attack.

"I knew it was you." Diarmuid said walking back to Arturia "You're Lubbock's grandson."

"Yeah," Ethan said "I am."

"It's nice to meet you finally." Arturia told him "He visited us in his final days and told us that we should expect a visit at some point. I see you came to visit finally."

"It's nice to know I have more family." Ethan smiled

"Well, you have Blake." Velvet told him "And all of us too."

"So you two wanted to see Excalibur?" Arturia asked them

"Can we?" Velvet asked as she jumped in joy "Can we can we can we can we can we?!"

"You heard the girl." Ethan sighed

Arturia moved over to her tomb and stuck her hand through the stone. She produced Excalibur and handed it to Velvet. Her veins glowed as she admired the weapon.

"This is so beautiful." Velvet awed "Can I marry it?"

"Huh?" Arturia asked in surprise

"Velvet…" Ethan said as he took the weapon from her

He held it and twirled it in his hand.

"This is light." Ethan said "Like very light."

"What?" Velvet asked "No it's not. It's a heavy sword."

"Excalibur reacts differently to everyone." Arturia said as Ethan handed her the sword "For me it was my friend and my weapon."

"Then she met me and never needed to use it anymore." Diarmuid laughed

Arturia put the sword in her tomb and walked back over to them.

"You two can stay here for the night." Arturia said "The storm is supposed to make a comeback tonight. You'll be safe here."

"Thank you." Ethan said putting his backpack down "I'm exhausted."

"Wait, so where's Diarmuid's weapon?" Velvet asked "Is it not here?"

"That weapon is resting with our grandson." Diarmuid told them "I believe you may have met him."

Ares looked up at the sky and saw airships approaching Beacon, lot's of them. He dropped his book and ran to Ozpin's office. He kicked the door open and saw Ozpin talking to Goodwitch.

"Mr. Ares," Ozpin said "How can I help you?"

"We have airships coming in." Ares told him "Enough for an invasion."

"Did you manage to see any of the markings?" Goodwitch asked

"The White Fang are attacking!" Neptune said as he and Rosaira ran into the office "I managed to zoom in on one of the ships. We have to evacuate the school!"

"I agree." Ozpin said standing up "Or we can fight back."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 45

"You want to what?!" Neptune exclaimed

"I say we fight back too." Rosaira said "We know this place better than them."

"They are trained warriors who will kill without hesitation." Ares told her "Is anyone here even capable of killing another human being?"

"Whatever the plan is we need to act fast." Neptune said "Those ships are getting here faster than we want to believe."

"We hold the school grounds." Ozpin said "Final decision."

"Yes sir." Ares said running out with Neptune and Rosaria

Ares kicked open his door and saw Mercury and Artemis playing video games.

"Ares?" Artemis asked as she put down the controller "What's going on?"

The school alarm went off and Mercury jumped up off the ground and onto his feet.

"What's the plan?" Mercury asked as he pulled out some brass knuckles and put them on

"We hold the school grounds." Ares said "Till our last breath."

"Hell yeah." Mercury said popping his knuckles "Time to kick some ass."

Artemis grabbed her bow and joined her teammates as they left to gather the rest of their friends.

They were on their way to Blaire's room when the first ship landed.

"I'll meet you guys at Blaire's room!" Mercury said as he ran over to the ship

The side door opened and White Fang soldiers jumped out. Mercury hit a soldier right in the jaw and heard a crack. More students joined in the fight as Mercury led the battle. Two more airships landed behind the first one and more soldiers got out, then joined the fight.

Ares looked out a window and saw the school grounds becoming a warzone. Artemis spun around and shot two White Fang soldiers who made their way up to them in the hall.

"We have to keep moving." Artemis said as she killed another soldier

Ares and Artemis continued to run to Blaire's room. He arrived and kicked open the door to see Neptune with the rest of them.

"No," Blaire interjects, her arms crossed "close the door and open it properly."

Ares closed the door as he gave them the middle finger. He opened the door and walked in.

"Where are we needed?" Blaire asked

"We just need to help out around the campus and aid in the multiple battles going on." Ares told them "Where are Blake and Pyrrha?"

"They left the minute they saw the ships to prepare some traps." Nora said "They also said something about Adam and Delaney."

"This is not good." Neptune told Ares "Go find them."

Ares walked out the room and was followed by Blaire.

"Go back inside Blaire." Ares told her as he turned around to face her "You're needed with the rest of the team. I can handle this by myself."

She dropped her knife and grabbed his head as she kissed him. Ares kissed her back and held her there.

"You're not by yourself anymore." Blaire told him

"Then let's go." Ares said as she picked up her knife

They ran down the hall and out into the courtyard. The battle had only begun and it was already looking bad.

Mercury killed the last White Fang soldier and looked at the rest of the students. They had wounded, and dead.

"Move the wounded into the spare building." Mercury told another student "Leave the dead for now. We'll get them once we've won."

Mercury saw Artemis and the others run up to him.

"Mercury!" Artemis said as she hugged him "I'm glad you're ok."

"I've been better." Mercury laughed as he hugged her back "Glad to see you're fine too."

"Guys, we're needed elsewhere." Neptune told them

"I'll stay with Mercury." Artemis said drawing her bow as another airship landed near them "Go help the others."

Neptune, Rosaria, and Nora ran off to help where they were needed. Artemis shot the engine of the airship and it blew up. She looked over to see Mercury with his jaw wide open.

"I'm full of surprises." She smiled at him as another ship landed

Nora smacked a soldier across the courtyard and into a wall. Neptune shot the soldiers as they left the airships and Rosaria was on the ground with Nora fighting. She kicked a soldier into the air and Nora smacked him down. Rosaria smacked another with her staff and heard his neck break. Nora smacked three guards in one swing and killed them. Neptune jumped down of the roof and shot two soldiers as he joined his friends.

"They just seem to keep coming." Rosaria said as she killed a soldier with her bow

"This is going to take a while." Nora said as she smacked another soldier

Neptune kicked a soldier down and shot him. He spun around and kicked the weapon out of another, before promptly shooting him too. Neptune raised his gun and fired into a third soldier.

"Damn these guys are persistent." He said shooting another "Just leave!"

The final airship landed and Adam Taurus walked out with Delaney at his side. Soldiers following behind them.

"Find her." Adam said "And bring her to me."

Delaney pulled out his tonfas and quickly killed the soldiers.

"Delaney!" Adam exclaimed as he drew his own sword

He attacked and Adam blocked it. Adam kicked behind Delaney's knee and crippled him. Adam stabbed Delaney in the side, then resheathed his sword. He kicked him down onto the concrete.

"Now I have to find her myself." Adam said as he looked around

Blake ran into the cafeteria and barricaded the door.

"Not like this." She cried "Not like this."

"Blake?" Adam asked "Open up the door sweety."

"Go to hell!" Blake said drawing her sword and backing up from the door

Adam blew the door open and walked in through the smoke.

"It doesn't have to be like this my love." Adam said drawing his sword "But you made it like this."

"Blake!" Pyrrha yelled as she ran into the cafeteria

"Pyrrha! Don't!" Blake yelled back but it was too late

Pyrrha attacked Adam, he drew his sword and blocked her attack. He jumped to be behind her and attacked. Pyrrha felt his blade pierce her body and she was kicked back into Blake.

"Pyrrha…" Blake said as she looked at her friend

"She'll be fine." Adam said pointing his sword at her "She's just missing her left arm."

"You'll pay for that." Blake said "But with your life."

"My dear Blake." Adam chuckled "You could never beat me."

He rushed her and attacked. Blake blocked his attack but was hit in the side from his sheath, as he used that was a weapon too. Blake jumped back onto a table and removed her sheath too, she held it in her left hand and her sword in her right. She jumped off the table and at Adam. He raised his sword and blocked her attack. He stepped to the side and kicked her in the side. She fell down and swung at his leg with her sheath. He kicked her arm and she dropped it onto the ground. Blake shot at Adam but he managed to dodge the bullet. He raised his sword and stabbed her in the stomach as she layed on the ground. He removed his sword and kicked hers away from her.

"You thought you could win?" He laughed "That is so cute."

Adam received a punch to the side of his head and he was sent flying across the room. Ares stood there with his spear, the rage in his eyes.

"Blaire, get them out of here." He said walking towards Adam "I'll handle this."

Adam stood up and looked at Ares, he laughed then attacked. Ares moved his spear to block Adam's sword, then kicked him in the stomach. He rolled to the side and sprung off the ground and onto a table. Ares jumped and attacked him on the table. Adam blocked the attack and dealt his own. Ares twirled the spear to block it before attacking himself. The two kept attacking and blocking, until Adam saw a weakness. He swung his leg and hit Ares's knee. Ares fell and raised his spear to block Adam's sword. He kicked Ares in the chest and sent him off the table and into the wall. Adam jumped off the table and slowly walked over to Ares. He raised his sword to attack, then saw Ares move his spear with inhuman speed to block it. Ares glared at Adam before he punched his knee. Adam fell onto one knee and Ares swung his spear and hit him in the head. He shakily stood up and blocked Ares's next attack. Delaney entered the fight as he attacked Adam from behind. He swung his leg and kicked him back, before hitting Ares in the head with his sheath. Delaney ran at Adam and attacked with his tonfas. He blocked one with his sheath and cut off Delaney's arm with his sword. Adam smiled as he fell to the ground bleeding from his missing arm. Ares was up again and jumped in the air to attack Adam. He stepped to the side and kicked the spear out of his hands. Ares ducked as he dodged Adam's sheath, but couldn't move again as he brought his sword in. Ares felt the blade enter his stomach and he stumbled back before collapsing onto his knees. Adam withdrew his sword and walked over to Delaney. He raised his sword and began to bring it down.

"Choke me daddy." Delaney whispered

"What?" Ares and Adam said in unison

In their moment of confusion Delaney reached up grasping for anything with his remaining hand as he's bleeding out on the floor. Without looking he squeezed and pulled whatever his hand had found in his last efforts before death. Despite the agonizing pain Ares is experiencing, he couldn't help but smile faintly at the scene before him coupled with Adam's bloodcurdling scream. Delaney looks up with crazed eyes as he realizes that he took away every male's sole primitive purpose in the world. Adam looks down to see Delaney's hand gripping a bloody mass where his groin should be. Adam regained his posture and brought the sword down with enough force to kill an elephant in one swing. The blade connected with Delaney's head, splitting it straight down the middle, parting his ridiculous grin. Adam sheathed his sword and picked up Ares's spear. He stood back and threw it at Ares, who caught it and stood up. He rushed Adam, who drew his sword and attacked. Ares dropped his spear and fell down onto the ground, blood dripping off Adam's blade.

A White Fang soldier ran in and saw Adam.

"Sir, we're being overrun!" He said

"Pull out the troops." Adam said sheathing his sword and walking out of the cafeteria "We did what we came here to do."

Neptune shot another White Fang soldier as he saw that they started retreating. He shot the ones in his area that tried to retreat. He stood up and turned around to see Adam stab him. He pulled his blade out and kicked him down onto the ground, before following his troops out onto the remaining airships. They left quickly and flew back the way they had came.

"Neptune!" Rosaria yelled as she ran to his side

"I'll be fine." Neptune said standing up and wincing in pain "I just need to bandage it up. Focus on finding the others."

Nora walked over and gave Neptune some bandages. He quickly wrapped his wound and threw his weapon on his back.

"We need to find the others." Neptune said "Rosaria will look for Ares and Blaire, Nora find Pyrrha and Blake, then I'll find Mercury and Artemis."

They ran off to find their friends, wondering what their fates would be.

Nora ran into the makeshift hospital they had set up where the dances were held. She saw many of her classmates in there as she walked through the building. She was approached by Jen, who was holding her side.

"Nora," She coughed "we found them."

"Where are they then?" Nora asked

"End of the hall." Jen said

"You alright Jen?" Nora asked her

"I lost my whole team in the fight." She said collapsing as Nora caught her "I'm next I guess. Can you give Ethan something for me?"

"Sure thing." Nora said as Jen pulled her weapon off her lower back and raised it up

It was a black rectangle that when activated, transformed into a mechanical scythe with a red blade.

"It's my scythe. It's a transformable weapon I made. I was going to test it out but then the fight happened." Jen told her "Please make sure he gets it."

She handed Nora the weapon and went limp. A doctor ran over and lifted Jen up, before taking her into one of the rooms nearby. Nora held Jen's weapon as she walked down to Blake and Pyrrha's room. She opened the door and saw them laying on the beds.

"Nora?" Blake asked upon seeing her

"Are you two ok?" She asked "Jen just died and I don't want to lose anymore friends."

"I'm fine." Blake said "Just beat up. I can't say the same for Pyrrha though. She lost her arm fighting Adam."

Nora sat down next to Blake and pulled out her phone. She texted Neptune and told her where they were.

Neptune checked his phone and smiled when he saw the text. He put his phone away as he arrived at Mercury's last know location. He walked around the courtyard and looked at the bodies on the ground, he saw some of his classmates and some of his friends. He made it to the wall where Pyrrha was trapped and saw Mercury sitting against the wall, with Artemis's head on his lap.

"Mercury! Artemis!" Neptune called out

Neither of them moved, and Neptune moved closer. He saw what really happened. Mercury and Artemis were both killed during the fight. He looked at Mercury's hand and saw an open ring box with a note attached to it, with his name on it. Neptune collapsed onto his knees and looked at his friends bodies.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" He repeated slamming his fist into the ground

He looked down and felt himself crying over the loss of his friends. He reached over and read the note Mercury had written.

 _Yo Neptune!_

 _If you're reading this then I'm most likely dead and so is Artemis. You guys were such great friends that I just wanted to say thank you for making this life enjoyable. I really hope I died fighting. Take whatever gift I've attached to the note and use it wisely._

 _Thanks,_

 _Mercury and Artemis_

He folded up the note and put it in his jacket pocket. Reaching back over, he grabbed the ring box and closed it. He put that in his pocket as he stood up. Neptune pulled his phone out and shot the rest of the group the bad news. He put it away and left to find Nora.

Rosaria walked around campus and looked at the bodies. Majority of them were White Fang but she still saw a couple of her classmates in there. She swung her foot in rage and brought it down on a scythe. She looked down and examined the weapon, before finding it's user dead a couple feet away. Rosaria looked around and saw that the other two members of Team Stalker were killed here in the battle. She thought back to when she first saw them in Ethan's class. They looked like the type of people that would do shady deals and be assassins. But then she met one of their members, George, during a school party. The two kicked off a great friendship shortly after. She was saddened to see her friend lying dead so close to her. She knelt next to him and closed his eyes, she then took the ring he had on and put it on her. She then stood up and continued looking for Ares and Blaire.

"Blaire?" Rosaria called out "Blaire?"

"In here!" Blaire called out from the cafeteria

Rosaria ran in and saw her friend holding Ares's spear. She walked over and looked past Blaire to see the two bodies covered in a white table cloth.

"Blaire…" Rosaria said

"Why did he have to go now?" Blaire sobbed "Of all the times. We never got to go on a real date even. I was looking forward to it."

"Well, he can rest knowing you loved him at least." Rosaria told her friend

"But I never told him." Blaire continued to cry "I just kissed him and that was it."

"He knew all along that you loved him Blaire." Rosaria said "Neptune even told me that he would be worried about you when you went on missions."

"He did?" Blaire asked her

"You should have seen him during winter break." Rosaria laughed "He stayed up all night waiting to hear that you arrived back home safely."

Blaire smiled as she held his spear in her hands.

"Thanks Rose." Blaire told her

"That's what friends are for." Rosaria responded "We're all there for you if you need us. We should head back and meet the others."

Rosaria's phone went off and she read the text from Neptune.

"What's wrong?" Blaire asked as she saw her friend's expression change

"Mercury and Artemis are dead." Rosaria said "Damn the White Fang! I swear I'm going to kill Adam with my own two hands."

"Well, for now we don't have that ability." Blaire told her "We need to go meet the others."

They got up and left the cafeteria, Blaire gave one last look at Ares before she left.

Blake was sitting in her hospital bed when Rosaria and Blaire walked in. Rose stood next to Neptune and hugged him.

"I'm so sorry Neptune." She said "They were dear to all of us."

"I think we should take a vacation Rose." Neptune said reaching into his pocket and handing her the box "A very long one."

He left the room and walked out into the hall. She opened the box and stared at the ring it contained. She looked up and the others all looked happy for her.

"Go get him." Blake told her "I'm fine in here."

She ran out the room and the door closed behind her.

"Good for her." Blaire said "At least something good came out of all of this."

The airship contained Ethan and Velvet as it flew back to Beacon that next morning. The two decided to head back down the mountain after getting an emergency broadcast from Ozpin. The airship landed and the two sprinted out of the ship and to the hospital. Ethan burst through the main door and saw Nora.

"Where are they?" Ethan asked "Is everyone alright?"

"Ethan…" Nora said "we have some bad news."

"What kind of bad news?" Velvet asked

Nora stood up and walked over to Ethan, she handed him Jen's scythe. He took it and looked at it before looking up at Nora.

"Who else died?" He asked attaching the weapon to his back

"Delaney, Ares, Mercury, and Artemis. Along with all of Team Stalker." Nora said "They attacked out of nowhere but we managed to minimize our losses."

"I'm going to kill Adam the next time I see him." Ethan said clenching his fists "But what about the rest of you?"

"Blake got hurt pretty badly. Rosaria, Neptune, and I managed to get only small wounds." Nora told him

"What about Pyrrha?" Ethan asked her "Is she alright?"

"Ethan," Blake said from behind Nora "she left."

"What do you mean she left?" Ethan asked as he approached his sister "Where is she?"

"Her parents took her home." Rosaria said as she and Neptune approached them "They wanted her to heal back home, where they can afford better care for their daughter. And also get a new arm."

Blake hugged Ethan and felt him hug her back.

"We'll find her Ethan." Blake said "Our adventure has only just begun."

"You guys ok if Rosaria and I sit this one out?" He said as she held up her hand, revealing the ring "We have a lot of planning to do."

"Just make sure I get my invite." Ethan told him "And I call dibs on best man."

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Neptune laughed "But if you need us, call and we'll be there."

"Sounds like a plan." Ethan said shaking his friends hand

"Be safe out there Ethan." Neptune told his friend "The White Fang are still at large."

"So what's the plan?" Nora asked him

"We wait for Blake to get properly healed, then we saddle up and hunt down Adam Taurus." Ethan said "As a new team. Team BNERV, with Blake as our fearless leader."

"What about me?" Blaire asked "I want to come too."

"Then welcome to Team NERVBB." Ethan told her "Never hurts to have another person watching our backs."

They all laughed before going back to Blake's room so she could rest. Rosaria and Neptune bid their friends farewell as they went to start their new life together. Ethan was happy for the two of them.

Arriving at Blake's room, Ethan saw a note on Pyrrha's bed. He walked over and picked it up.

 _My dear Assassin,_

 _My parents thought it best I heal back home. Well our second home at least. My parents agreed to let me stay the way I am, with my Faunus features. I'll never stop thinking about you, even if we never meet again. But knowing you, you'll track me down and find me. I know you will._

 _Till next time my love,_

 _Pyrrha_

He folded up the letter and put it in his jacket pocket. He then joined his friends as they started their plan to hunt down Adam Taurus and kill him once and for all.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 46

4 months later

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Nora asked as she moved Magnhild over her other shoulder

"Do you want to read the map?" Ethan asked her

"I'll pass." Nora laughed

"I thought so." He sighed as he returned to reading the map

They began their trek about 3 months ago, and they covered a lot of distance. But still found no leads to where their main base is. Each team member also changed their attire for this mission. Nora pressured them into changing into new clothes.

Blake had a long white coat with a black crop top underneath and black leggings. She had Gambol Shroud on her back and had on heeled boots. Nora had on her black bomber jacket with a white shirt containing a heart on it underneath. She donned white gloves and her usual pink skirt, along with white boots that go up to her knees. Velvet wore a short long sleeve brown jacket with a black undershirt, and black leggings. She had golden vambraces on her arms and golden shoulder pauldrons too. Blaire had a white jacket, with a red undershirt and white leggings on. Ethan had a black and red baseball jacket on with the sleeves rolled up along with a white t-shirt underneath and a black snapback with a red bill on his head. He had his black jeans on and red and black vans. The only thing about him that changed was that he had Jen's scythe attached to his lower back, and Ares's spear on his back. He still carried Cross Tail but he cut the wires and attached the main component to a pair of black fingerless gloves.

"I think Ethan is guiding us perfectly fine." Blaire said as she adjusted Artemis's bow on her back

"At least one of us has faith in my skills." Ethan said as they reached a fork in the road

"Where do we go?" Blake asked him

"This isn't on the map." Ethan said "It says the road is supposed to continue straight."

"Then pick somewhere to take us." Velvet said "Either way we can get leads and clues on the White Fang's whereabouts."

"I like her idea." Blaire said

"Blake," Ethan asked "where are we going?"

"We're going to get our last teammate." Blake told him

"You're kidding me." Ethan deadpanned

"Nope." Blake told him "Now pick a path already."

"Let's go left then!" Ethan said as he started to go left

He saw a bear on the path and walked back to them.

"I changed my mind, let's go right." He quickly said as he went down the other path

The group followed him and trusted he and Blake knew where they were going.

Pyrrha woke up in her bed and saw the sun shining through her balcony window. She looked around her room and saw her old combat gear hanging on a mannequin. She got out of bed and put on a t-shirt of Ethan's she stole and jeans. She grabbed her leather jacket and put it on. She looked at her left hand and saw the robotic arm. She sighed before closing her and opening her fist.

"Four months and I'm still not used to this thing." She said

The door opened and a butler walked in.

"Miss Nikos, I see you're up." He said "I have some good news for you."

"Good morning Claude." Pyrrha greeted him "What's the good news?"

"I got you that brush you asked for." He told her handing her the brush "Now you can brush your tail more easily."

"Thank you so much." She told him "How much do I owe you?"

"Nothing Miss Nikos." He said "Consider it a welcome back gift."

"You're the best Claude." She said "I don't know where I'd be without you."

"When will you tell me where you got that shirt?" He asked her "I'm dying to know."

"Promise not to tell my mom?" She asked him

"I promise." He said putting his hand over his heart

"I stole it from my boyfriend one day and forgot to give it back." She laughed

"Say, where is the young chap?" Claude asked her "I'd love to meet him."

"I never got the chance to say goodbye to him before mother took me home." Pyrrha told him "But I know he'll be here at some point."

"Tell me when he does get her." Claude said "Also, your mother wishes to speak to you."

"Thank you Claude." She said hugging him, then leaving her room

Her house in Central was the same as her house in their old town. She walked out her room and over to her mother's office a few doors down. She knocked on the door and entered.

"You wanted to see me mother?" She asked

Her mom rose from her desk and looked at her daughter. She had the same hair color as Pyrrha, except her's was cut shorter and curled upwards at the ends. She had on a black business suit and a white undershirt.

"Sit down Pyrrha." She said

Pyrrha sat down on the chair opposite from her desk, and her mother sat back down at her desk.

"What did you need to talk to me about?" Pyrrha asked her

"I just wanted to tell you that Ben called again." Her mother said "I still don't understand why you won't go out with him. He's rich and a smart person."

"Mom," Pyrrha said "I know you want me to go out with him. But he's not my type. Plus I don't care if he's rich or not."

"Pyrrha," Her mother sighed "how are you planning on getting married if you won't even go out with a single person I suggest."

"Because mom," Pyrrha said standing up and walking over towards the door "I've already my the man I'm going to marry."

She left the office and made her way to the kitchen to make herself something for breakfast.

"Are we there yet?" Nora asked

"For the millionth time Nora!" Ethan exclaimed "We are not there yet! We still have about 15 more miles before we hit civilization again."

"I hate walking for so far." She said

Ethan handed Blake the map and walked over to Nora. She jumped on his back and he carried her.

"Thank you Ethan!" She told him

"You're welcome." He sighed "Now let's pick up the pace, I'd like to reach the city before nightfall."

"What is this city called again?" Blaire asked

"Central." Blake said "We are going to get some information on the White Fang and take care of some personal business."

"What kind of personal business?" Nora asked booping Ethan on the nose

"I have an assignment. And so does Blake." Ethan said "But I told her I'd take care of it. She doesn't want to get blood on her new coat."

"This thing cost me a lot of money." She said "Plus I'll be getting information on the White Fang."

"Off course you will be." Ethan said looking at Velvet "I assume with Velvet off course."

"Yup." Blake said before halting and looking back at Ethan "What are you implying?"

"Just the whole, you two are a thing and don't want to tell the rest of us out of fear that we'd all secretly hate you two." Ethan told her "It's fine, you two have fun."

"Thanks Ethan." Velvet said as she ran up to Blake and held her hand

"Now let's pick up the pace." Ethan said walking past them all "Nora's killing my arms."

Pyrrha was walking through the market that evening when she saw Nora's hammer sticking out of the crowd.

"Where are we going?" Nora asked

"We're going to the house." Ethan told her "And lower your hammer. You trying to get us spotted?"

It disappeared quickly, but Pyrrha decided to follow it.

Blake walked into the Night Raid house with Velvet to make sure it was clear. After giving the signal, Blaire and Nora entered. Ethan remained outside leaning up against the wall, his hat covering his face. Pyrrha walked by him and went to take a second look, but he was gone. He waited for her to leave before he walked out from the alley and into the house.

"Did anyone know that Pyrrha lives here?" Ethan asked closing the door

"Um, yeah." Blaire told him "You didn't know that?"

"Nope." Ethan said "Now where's Blake. She has my mission assignments."

"I think she's upstairs in her room." Velvet told him

"Thanks Velvet." Ethan said walking up the stairs

He found her room and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Blake asked

"Only the most badass person you know." Ethan told her

"Blaire?" Blake responded

"What the hell." Ethan said as Blake opened the door

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself." Blake laughed "What do you need?"

"I would like my mission assignments so I can plan." Ethan said holding his hand out

"I got them right here." She said reaching into her backpack and pulling them out

"Thanks." Ethan said as she handed them to him

He left her room and walked back downstairs, then out the door. He walked to a coffee place near their house and got a seat at the corner booth. He laid the files out on the table and started doing his planning.

Pyrrha walked back into her house and saw her mother talking to Ben.

"Mom?" Pyrrha asked her "Can I ask why Ben's here?"

"I was just talking to him about the masquerade party we're throwing." She said leaving "I'll let you two discuss the finer details."

"You look good Pyrrha." He said adjusting his tie on his white suit "Never expected a leather jacket to be your style."

"I'm going to my room." Pyrrha told him "I'll let you and my mom discuss the party."

She went up the stairs and walked to her room. She opened the door and closed it shortly after, leaning her back up against the door. She removed her jacket and threw it on her bed, before feeling a cold breeze enter her room. Looking around she saw her balcony window open, and Blake standing in her room.

"Blake!" Pyrrha said hugging her friend "I've missed so much!"

"I have too." Blake said hugging her friend back "How are you holding up?"

"I'm doing alright." She said moving her arm "Still getting used to this robotic arm."

"Ethan would be all over your arm." Blake said "He'd want to find out how it's made."

"I knew I saw Nora's hammer in the market." Pyrrha said sitting on her bed "I swear I saw Ethan too."

"You probably did," Blake laughed "We're laying low for a while. The White Fang is still hunting us while we hunt them. It's a never ending circle I swear."

"You guys should come to the masquerade party my mom's throwing." She told them "It's this weekend."

"We definitely will be there." Blake said looking at her watch "I have to go meet an informant, so I'll see you at the party?"

"Sure thing!" Pyrrha smiled at her "Stay safe."

Blake walked back out onto the balcony and looked at her friend.

"I always am." She said jumping off

Pyrrha sighed and heard her door open, her mom walked in.

"Hi mom." Pyrrha told her "Shouldn't you be discussing the party details with Ben?"

"We have it planned out already." She said sitting next to her "You are going to dance with Ben at the party."

"I already told you mom." Pyrrha told her

"We went through a lot of work to bring you back here." Her mom said "You need to do what I say."

"I didn't ask to be moved back here." Pyrrha said standing up and walking over to her armor "You moved me back here. I would have been fine staying back at Beacon, with my friends."

"You can make new friends. And you can get a new boyfriend." Her mom said "So you will dance with Ben."

"Fine mom." Pyrrha said "Now can you just leave me alone?"

Her mom got up and left her room, closing the door behind her. Pyrrha collapsed face first onto her bed and slammed her hand into the bed. She looked at the clock and decided to get ready for bed. She put on her nightgown and crawled into her bed. She put her head on the pillow and closed her eyes.

She awoke a few hours later and sat up in her bed. She looked around and noticed her balcony door still open. She got up and went to close it, when she saw the red figure standing on the balcony. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his chest.

"I knew you'd find me." She said

"Well," He said turning around to face her "I do need my partner."

"I missed you." She said kissing him "You have no idea how long these past few months have been."

"How's the arm?" He asked her

"It's alright. Still getting used to it." She told him as she moved her arm

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you during the fight." Ethan told her "If I was there I might have been able to prevent you losing your arm."

"You're fine." She said walking inside "It's cold out. Let's head in here."

"Pyrrha…" Ethan said "you know you're mom would kill you if she saw me."

"Think of it like a one night stand." She smiled "Except that I'm your girlfriend."

"Alright then." He laughed as he entered her room and closed her door behind him "This better?"

"Yes it is." She said kissing him and removing his jacket

"Really?" He asked her "Now of all times?"

"It's been four months since I last saw you." She said kissing him again "I think now is the best of times."

He kissed her back and the two fell onto the bed.

Pyrrha woke up and felt an arm around her. She rolled over and smiled when she saw it was Ethan. He popped an eye open and looked at her.

"Morning." She said quietly

"It's morning already?" He asked her "Blake might just kill me."

"Come on," She said getting out of her bed "get dressed."

He looked around and saw his clothes on the floor, he got out of her bed and started putting them on.

"I noticed you came unarmed last night." Pyrrha told him "Why?"

"I kinda forgot my weapons back at the house before I came here." He said putting his shirt on

He looked at her and noticed her wearing a shirt of his.

"That's where half of my shirts went!" He laughed "You stole them!"

"I simply borrowed them!" She retorted

"Whatever you say." Ethan told her as he put his shoes on

Pyrrha put her jacket on and laced up her boots. She walked over and handed Ethan his jacket as he finished tying his shoes.

"Thanks." He said putting his jacket on "So what is the best exit plan?"

"Miss Nikos?" They heard from the door

Ethan spun on his heels and produced a knife from his jacket sleeve.

"You forgot your weapons my ass." Pyrrha told him "Hi Claude."

"Is this the young man you were talking about?" He asked

"Depends on who's asking." Ethan said

"Very sorry sir." Claude said bowing "My name is Claude and I am Miss Nikos' personal assistant."

"I'm Ethan." He said retracting the knife and shaking Claude's hand "I'm Pyrrha's boyfriend."

"Pyrrha?" She heard her mom call "Ben's here to talk to you."

"Shit." Pyrrha said "Ethan, hide somewhere."

"Where the hell do I hide?" He asked her

"Under my bed." Pyrrha said

"Not to be crass but I'm scared it's going to break." He said quietly to her "But I'll do it."

He crawled under the bed and saw Ben enter the room.

"Pyrrha." Ben said "We need to talk."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 47

"What is it Ben?" Pyrrha asked him

"Claude," Ben asked "Can we have the room for a minute?"

Claude left the room and left it to Pyrrha and Ben. Plus Ethan, who had his knife out and was ready to strike if he needed to.

"What do you need Ben?" Pyrrha asked impatiently "I kinda have plans for the day."

"I just wanted to tell you that one of your servants working in the gardens last night saw someone enter your room." Ben said "That, and I was wondering if you wanted to go on a date today."

"No," Pyrrha rejected "and second off I can handle myself if someone were to have entered the room."

He sat down on the bed and Ethan rolled to the other side as it came down.

"Weird." Ben said "Your bed appears to be broken."

"Damn it." Pyrrha said under her breath

"What was that?" Ben asked standing up

"Nothing." Pyrrha said "But now I need a new bed."

"Why not we go bed shopping?" He asked her "It'll be a good way to break the ice between us."

"Fine then." Pyrrha sighed "I'll meet you downstairs."

He left the room and Ethan rolled out from under the bed and stood up.

"I almost feel bad for the poor guy." Ethan said "Does he still think he has a chance with you?"

"Well that may or may not be due to the fact that I never really told anyone but Claude about you." Pyrrha told him

"Doesn't matter." Ethan said "So I guess I'll see you later then?"

"Definitely." She said kissing him goodbye "I'll also make sure to get a stronger bed."

Ethan laughed and opened up her balcony door.

"It might just be safer to say I'll see you at the party tomorrow." He said before jumping off the balcony

"He knows how to make an exit." Claude said from her door

"Yeah," Pyrrha said "he's just that awesome."

Ethan carefully closed the door to the house. He looked around and noticed that no one else was up, or so he thought. He took a few steps before Nora tackled him to the ground.

"What the hell Nora?" He asked pushing her off him

"Where were you last night?" She asked pinning him to the ground "Blake was worried sick about you!"

"I had some personal business to take care of." He said

"That means he had sex with Pyrrha." Blaire said from the couch

"Blaire!" Ethan exclaimed "What the hell!"

"You can't lie to us Ethan." She told him as she flipped the page in her book "We all know you went to go see Pyrrha last night. Then we also all know you two did it because it's been four months since you last saw her."

"Ok yes I did go see her." He sighed "Are you happy now?"

"I was bull shitting you the entire time." Blaire said walking over to him "You left your weapons here and I was giving you a hard time."

"I hate you all so much right now." He said as Nora got off him

"So how was it?" She asked helping him up

"How was what?" Ethan asked her

"The sex silly." Nora said booping his nose "How was it?"

"Nora!" Blaire exclaimed dragging her away "We need to talk about your sense of manners."

"I'll be waiting for an answer!" Nora said as she was dragged into the kitchen

"So that's where you were last night." Velvet laughed as she walked down the stairs

"How long have you been listening?" He asked as she walked over to him

"About the whole time." She smiled "You need to take your weapons next time so we don't realize you're gone."

"Thanks for the reminder." He said as Blake walked up behind Velvet

"So how was it seeing Pyrrha again?" Blake asked him

"I mean." He said scratching the back of his head "It just felt like back at Beacon. Except in her bed instead of mine."

"So you two did have sex!" Nora shouted from the kitchen

"Nora!" Blaire yelled at her "I wasn't done talking!"

Ethan sighed and grabbed his scythe and attached it to his lower back. He picked up Ares's spear and put it over his shoulder.

"Blaire!" He called out

She stuck her head out of the kitchen and saw him.

"Yes?" She asked

"Come on." He said opening the door "It's about time I taught you how to use this thing."

Blaire bolted out of the kitchen and out the door, following Ethan.

"So where are we going?" She asked him

"There's a basketball court we're going to practice on." He said handing her the spear "He would want you to use this."

"Thanks Ethan." She said as they approached the basketball court

Ethan walked onto it and pulled the rectangle off his back. He held the little handle and twirled it, producing the black and red scythe. He admired it before turning around to Blaire.

"Ready?" He asked her

She readied her stance and he readied his own. The two ran at each other and their weapons collided.

Pyrrha sat up from the bed she was laying on and saw Ben on the other side of the store. She turned to her left and saw Blake laying on the bed next to her. She turned her head and smiled at her.

"What are you doing here?" Pyrrha asked her "I thought you would be out killing someone."

"That's Ethan's job now." She said rolling off the bed and onto her feet "I just provide backup and get him the information he needs. So who's the guy?"

Pyrrha saw her point to Ben.

"Have you been following me?" Pyrrha asked her

"Oh, most certainly." Blake laughed "I'm keeping an eye out for you."

"Thanks Blake." Pyrrha smiled "Where's Ethan at?"

"He and Blaire disappeared to do some training I think." Blake told her "But I'll make sure he's there for the party."

"I just hope he and Ben don't run into each other. A fight might actually get started." Pyrrha sighed "And we both know who would win that fight."

"He wouldn't even be able to get one attack in. It would be that quick." Blake said snapping her fingers "But yet again, that is what most people get for picking a fight with my brother."

"Pyrrha," Ben said greeting her "who's your friend?"

"This is Blake." Pyrrha introduced "We were on the same team back at Beacon."

"I would love to meet the rest of your team at some point." Ben said "I can hear all the stories."

"That's going to be hard to achieve." Blake told him "We've lost a lot of our friends."

"Blake?" Pyrrha asked her shakily "Who else is dead?"

"Ben is it?" Blake asked him "Give us a minute."

He went to protest but Blake grabbed the hilt of Gambol Shroud, threatening to pull it out. He walked away and went to look at something in the back of the store.

"Pyrrha…" Blake told her "after you lost your arm, Ares and Delaney joined the fight against Adam. They managed to buy us time to escape, but it cost them their lives. On top of that, Mercury and Artemis were both killed. Team Stalker also put up a brilliant fight that they will always remember in the afterlife."

"Oh my god." Pyrrha said covering her mouth "I wish I had known sooner, I would have ran away and found you guys."

"It's all fine Pyrrha." Blake said sitting next to her "We're here now and that's all that matters. Plus the fact that Neptune and Rosaria are engaged."

"I'm happy for those two." She smiled

"They're waiting for all of us to get back before they have the wedding." Blake said "That includes you."

"And how do you plan on getting me out of here?" Pyrrha asked her friend

"Trust us." Blake said before standing up and walking away "It'll be just like old times."

Ben walked back over and sat next to Pyrrha.

"Everything alright?" He asked her

"I've never been better." She said standing up "Now help me pay for this bed."

Blaire was panting as the training was tough on her. Ethan walked over to her and handed her a towel. During the training session she had removed her shirt to train in her white sports bra and her leggings. Ethan had done the same so we was just wearing his jeans.

"You're doing good." Ethan said as she used the towel to wipe the sweat off of her forehead "You'll make a fine spearmen yet. Plus it'll be a lot easier to use than your tiny dagger."

"What about my dagger?" She asked him

"I said it's tiny." He told her

She pulled her dagger out from her boot and Ethan moved the Scythe to block it.

"You can't pull one over on me." He laughed as she put her dagger back

"I can sure as hell try though." She told him

"True." He said looking at his phone "Where did the time go? We need to head back."

He grabbed his clothes and started putting them back on.

"Hey Ethan?" She asked holding his shirt "Where's my shirt?"

"That would explain why this is abnormally tight." He said taking her shirt off of him and tossing it back to her

"Idiot." She said tossing his shirt back to him

He put it on and threw his jacket on, before transforming the scythe back into its container and attached it to his lower back. Blaire put her shirt and jacket back on, before slinging Ares's spear over her shoulder.

"You ready?" She asked him

"Lead the way." He said following her back home

Nora was waiting outside and ran over to them as they approached them.

"Guys!" She yelled in excitement "We get to go to a big fancy party!"

"What fancy party?" Ethan asked her "I have a target to kill tonight. So count me out."

He entered the house and the other two followed him in.

"No!" Nora whined "You have to go."

"Give me one good reason why." Ethan said placing his scythe near the door

"Because I told Pyrrha you'd be there." Blake said from the couch as she moved Velvet's sleeping head off her shoulder and onto the couch "Her parents planned it and we're going."

"Did you forget that I also have to kill a guy tonight?" Ethan asked her

"You do?" Blake asked confused "Since when?"

"Since yesterday when I memorized his weekend schedule." He said slapping his forehead with the palm of his hand

"Here I thought your only plan was to rush in and kill him." Blake laughed

"Well," He said "Not only."

"Kill him then make it back to the party." Blake said "And make sure you buy a mask. It's a masquerade party."

Ethan grabbed his scythe and hat. He put both of them on and pulled out his gloves from his pockets. He put them on and opened the door.

"See you guys later." He said closing the door

It opened again and he stuck his head back in.

"Also," He said "tell Nora I said that if she's going to start a food fight to wait for me."

He closed the door and left to go find his target.

"If they don't play Phantom of the Opera I'm going to be pissed." Blaire told her friends

Ethan sat outside a coffee shop, waiting for his target to enter. He sipped his coffee and saw someone sit across from him.

"Can I help you?" Ethan asked

"Yeah," He said "you can tell me where to find Night Raid."

"Kid," Ethan said looking at him "who the hell do you think you are?"

"My name is unimportant." He smiled "Just tell me where they are."

Ethan sighed and activated his scythe, then quickly attacking the man. The stranger looked down and saw his chest cut open. He fell down onto the ground and died. Ethan threw a 20 on the table and walked away from the scene.

He walked down an alley and saw his target talking to a prostitute. Ethan sighed and walked over, he activated his scythe again and do the same thing. The target fell dead and the prostitute looked at him.

"Go do something else with your life." Ethan said walking away as he heard a gunshot go off

Pyrrha looked around the room and couldn't see Ethan anywhere. A girl wearing a black dress with a black cat masked approached her.

"Is that you Blake?" Pyrrha asked her

"Did the cat mask give it away?" She laughed

"Yeah." Pyrrha told her

Velvet walked up wearing a brown and gold dress, with a brown cat mask.

"Pyrrha!" Velvet said as she hugged her friend "I haven't seen you in forever! How are you?"

Pyrrha fixed her fox mask before answering Velvet's question.

"I'm doing good." She told her "So Nora told me you two are finally a thing?"

"Yup!" Velvet said holding Blake's hand "Took us long enough."

Pyrrha laughed as she fixed her red silk dress. She meant to wear this to the double date she had planned with Artemis, but instead their airship got shot down.

"Blake," Velvet said "let's dance. See you Pyrrha!"

The two walked off onto the dance floor, and Nora and Blaire approached her instead.

"Looking good Pyrrha." Blaire said as she took off her phantom mask "I hate wearing masks."

"Just wear it for the party at least." Nora said fixing her pink poofy dress "Then we can burn them."

Pyrrha noticed Nora wearing a pink masquerade mask. Blaire was the only person wearing a jacket over her dress, no one else knew why.

"So where's Ethan?" Pyrrha asked them

"He had to kill someone." Nora told her quietly "But he'll be here."

"I hope so." Pyrrha said eyeing the door of the room

Ethan lay on the ground as he felt blood escaping from his shoulder. He slowly pushed himself up and saw Adam Taurus holding his scythe.

"Nice blade Ethan." He said tossing it next to him as Ethan fell back down

"What did you do to me?" Ethan asked him

"I shot you," He said crouching down next to him "but more importantly I cut off your magic circuits. Meaning you can't use your healing magic to get you out of this mess."

"You bastard." Ethan coughed as Adam hit him

"Just lay here and die Ethan." Adam laughed as she stood up "Or I'll give you a chance to call for help."

He handed Ethan his phone and walked away.

"Make up your mind soon." He laughed

Ethan put the phone down and pushed himself up and stood. He grabbed his scythe and used it as a crutch to get to the house.

He opened the door and walked in, he removed his jacket and shirt. Tossing them on the couch he saw that the bullet went clean through his shoulder. He entered the kitchen and cleaned the wound before bandaging it up. He sat at the kitchen table and sighed a sigh of relief. He stood up and walked out of the kitchen and upstairs. Ethan stood at the entrance to his room and opened the door.

Pyrrha was still talking to Blaire and Nora when she saw a man wearing a black striped suit with a red tie and a fox mask enter the room. She smiled and Nora saw this.

"Come on Blaire." Nora said dragging her friend along "I want something to drink."

"But…" Blaire complained

Pyrrha laughed as her friend got dragged off by Nora. She looked back over at the door and the man was gone. She felt a hand slip into hers and she turned to see Ethan standing there. She looked at his face and saw that he was pale.

"You alright Ethan?" She asked with a worried expression on her face

"I'm fine." He said weakly "Just got wounded is all."

"Let me take a look at it." She told him "We can go into one of the empty rooms."

"I'll be fine." He smiled at her "I've had this happen before."

He took a step and nearly fell. Pyrrha caught him and stood him back up.

"We're going to an empty room." She said "I'm taking a look at your wound."

He nodded and they walked off to an empty room that was down one of the hallways branching off of the dance hall. She opened the door to reveal a bedroom.

"Was not planning on this being a bedroom." She said as she sat Ethan down on the bed

She removed his suit jacket and his tie. She looked at his shirt and could see the bandage wrapped around his upper body. She unbuttoned his shirt and looked at the bandage. It was covered in blood and she sighed.

"What happened to you Ethan?" She asked removing the bandage slowly

He removed his mask and hers too, since they were in the way and annoying to wear.

"I was shot." He told her "Adam was onto me and decided to put a bullet in me."

"You couldn't use your magic to heal yourself?" She asked walking into the bathroom to get a new bandage

"The bullet severed my magic circuits." He told her "I can't use my magic anymore. So I have to train with my scythe."

She started to wrap the bandage around his wound, each time he winced in pain as she made it tight.

"Big baby." She laughed

"You ever been shot before?" He asked her

"Can't say I have." She waving her robotic arm in front of him "But I have lost an arm."

"Fair game." He laughed "We still need to redo our arena match."

"I agree." She said "Someone has to knock you down a peg."

"I wish you luck." He laughed

"Since when did you use a scythe?" She asked finishing the bandage "What happened to Cross Tail?"

"I made some modifications to fit the main component on a pair of black fingerless gloves." He told her "But for the scythe, Jennifer gave it to Nora and told her to give to me as she died."

He clenched his first during that last part. Jennifer was a friend of his, not to mention a student of his. He would never get over her death, and using her scythe wasn't helping his case. But it was allowing him to vent some of the anger he had for the White Fang.

"Ethan?" Pyrrha asked sitting next to him "You alright?"

"Yeah," He lied holding her hand "I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine." She said squeezing his hand lightly "You can tell me what's wrong Ethan. I'm here for you."

"Jennifer's death still haunts me, along with the others." He told her "I keep thinking that if Velvet and I were there, none of us would have died."

"What happened happened." She said resting her head on his shoulder "What matters most is that we are still alive and can continue to fight for those who had died."

He kissed the top of her head, between her fox ears. She giggled as it tickled a bit, Ethan smiled and used his free hand to pet her ears.

"You found my weak spot." She laughed

"I was always good at it." He told her

She picked her head up and kissed him. She pushed his back onto the bed and kissed him again as she got on top of him.

"Pyrrha…" Ethan told her "not here."

"I know that silly." She said booping his nose "But I can still kiss you when no one's looking."

"Miss Nikos?" She heard as she froze, her lips centimeters from Ethan's

"Busted." Ethan smiled at her

She shot up and got off Ethan, then looked at the door. Claude was standing in the door way.

"You scared me Claude." She said "What's up?"

"Ben is looking for you." He told her

"Pyrrha?" Ben called for her as he walked down the hall

"If he sees you he might just try to kill you." Pyrrha told Ethan

"Relax," Ethan told her pointing to the collapsed scythe behind a pillow "I came ready for a fight. And it just so happens to be that we are hiding in this room."

He sat up and put his shirt back on, then tied his tie and threw his suit jacket on. Ben walked in and saw the two of them in the room.

"Pyrrha?" Ben asked "Who is this guy?"

"Names Ethan Belladonna." He said turning around to face him "Who are you?"

"I'm Ben." He said "And wait, the Ethan Belladonna?"

"Depends on what you mean by "The Ethan Belladonna"." Ethan said slowly walking towards his scythe

"You're the one that the White Fang is after!" Ben exclaimed "I can get a good reward for bringing you in."

"Ben," Pyrrha said "the White Fang are not after him. You must be thinking of a different person."

"The posters say it's him though." He said pointing to Ethan "And what are you two doing in here?"

Ethan grabbed his scythe and transformed it, holding the blade to the back of Ben's neck.

"Incase you haven't gotten the memo," Ethan said "I'll explain it to you. Stay away from Pyrrha. If I so much as see you near her I will kill you on the spot."

"Or you can kill him now." Pyrrha told him "Hide the body in here."

"True." Ethan said kicking Ben in the knee

He knelt in front of him and transformed the scythe back into its container. He attached it to his lower back and punched Ben in the side of the head.

"We should get out of here." Ethan said standing up "No doubt he informed them while we were talking."

"Where do we go?" Pyrrha asked him

"To our house." Ethan told her

"Our house?" She asked tearing up and hugging him "Oh, Ethan!"

"I mean, we're sharing it with everyone else." He told her "It'll be just like at Beacon but we each have our own room."

"I don't care." She said kissing him "We get to be together again."

"First let's get out of here." Ethan said "I have a plan to get us out of here easily."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 48

Nora was at the snack table with Blaire when she heard a whistle. She smiled as she looked at Blaire.

"Please no." Blaire protested "No way is he calling that now."

"You heard the whistle." Nora said grabbing a pie "Time to start the fight."

"Fine then." Blaire said picking up an apple "But if this ruins my dress you owe me a new one."

Blake and Velvet also heard the signal and made their way out of the dance hall and back outside, where they waited for the commotion to start.

Nora looked around the room, trying to find her first target. She located the person and hurled the pie at them. It hit the guest in the face and they all turned to look at Nora.

"FOOD FIGHT!" She yelled as Blaire threw the apple at someone's head

The other guests started grabbing food and the fight had begun. Guards had started to enter the room to try to calm the chaos. A guard approached Blaire and she threw an apple at his head. He rubbed his head and looked up in time to see Blaire jump kick him in the head. She grabbed his tonfa and smacked another guard as he approached her. She grabbed the second guard's tonfa and wielded the two pieces of metal. Nora had broken a guards knee and punched him in the side of the head. A guard walked up behind her and she kicked him in the groin, then kicked him on the top of the head and brought the guard down. Blaire and Nora were now attracting the attention of the other guests, some of whom were armed with knifes. Blaire jumped behind Nora and blocked an attack. She took the tonfa and smacked the man in the side, then again in the side of the head. Nora grabbed another attackers knife arm and twisted it, breaking his arm. She grabbed the knife and slashed his leg, before punching him and knocking him out. Blaire dodged a flying tray and smacked it down. She tossed it to Nora and she used it like a shield and weapon. Nora smacked a guard in the head with it then smacked another guest. Nora ran and used the tray as a snowboard. She slid along the floor dealing her attacks to her victims. She jumped and kicked the tray at another guard. It hit him in the stomach and Nora landed on top of the guard. Blaire saw the event and laughed as she smacked another guard in the stomach. Blaire jumped back and saw a metal pole lying on the ground. She threw the two tonfas into the crowd and knocked two people out. She kicked the pole up and twirled it in her hands. A guest ran at her and she swept his feet out from under him, before delivering a blow to this chest. She attacked another Guard and smacked him in the side, then twirled the pole and brought it down on his head. Nora punched a guard and kicked him back into the crowd. She looked around and saw Ethan and Pyrrha making a break for the front door. Ethan had his scythe out and smacked anyone who got in his way. They made their out and left the scene. Nora blocked an attack from a guard's fist by kicking a tray up into his hand. She grabbed the tray and smacked his head with it. Blaire made her way over to Nora and tossed her a tonfa she had picked up prior to getting there. Nora grabbed it and smacked a guest in the chest, Blaire dealing the finishing blow by smacking his head down. More guards started to fill the room, the Central police even started coming into the building. Nora and Blaire made a mad dash for the closest window. Blaire threw the pole at it and broke the window. Nora jumped through first and landed on the street. Blaire landed next to her and the two ran off down an alley.

Pyrrha's mom stood in the empty room covered with blood and food. Only a few of the guards were killed, but that wasn't her big problem right now. She couldn't find Pyrrha anywhere. Claude approached her and she turned to face him.

"Do you know where Pyrrha is?" She asked him

"I do not madam." He lied "Maybe you should ask Ben."

Ben walked up to them, his leg wrapped up.

"I think I know where she went." He said "It was the whole reason the fight was started."

Nora opened the door to the house and saw everyone else in the house. She and Blaire entered before closing the door and joining the others at the couch.

"So I need my clothes." Pyrrha told Ethan

"I had Claude bring them over before the fight started." He told her "I figured you would be fine fighting in what appears to be my shirt, yet again, your leather jacket and jeans plus your boots."

"So my weapons are here too?" She asked

"One of us will have to go retrieve them." Ethan said

"I'll go." Blake said standing up "I know where to go."

"Good luck Blake." Ethan said "But I'll go with you just in case."

"Better get changed then." Blake laughed as the two left for their rooms

They emerged a few minutes later wearing their normal clothes. Blake picked up Gambol Shroud from the bottom of the stairs and put it on her back. Ethan put his scythe on his lower back and pulled his gloves on. The two walked out the door and onto the night street, making their way to Pyrrha's house.

Ethan boosted Blake over the wall and she landed quietly on the other side.

"Coast is clear." Blake said as Ethan jumped and landed next to her

They moved along the outside wall and reached the side of the house. Ethan ran out from the wall and began climbing the side of the house. Blake was following behind him and they made it to the roof quickly.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Blake asked him

"Assassins Creed." He told her

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Sue me. I like video games." Ethan said making his way over to the ledge near her window "I'll be back in five minutes."

"I'm coming too." Blake told him

"Alright." He told her "Let's do this."

They climbed down to the third floor and saw her balcony underneath them. Ethan went first and jumped down. He landed on the balcony and rolled into the room. He stood up and saw Blake stand up next to him too.

"You were fast." He laughed

"I'm a cat." She said "I always land on my feet."

They looked around the room before finding her weapons. Ethan grabbed her spear and truly noticed it for once. It was a small spear that looked like it could also double as a sword. He put it on his back as Blake handed him her shield.

"I get to carry everything?" He asked annoyed

"You are her boyfriend after all." Blake said "And possible baby daddy."

"Woah," Ethan said "that might just be crossing the line."

"Yeah, besides." Blake said "She can't have kids."

"Oh yeah, I remember her telling me that one day." He told her as they climbed back up the roof

They stood on the roof figuring out their escape plan, when they heard Claude in the courtyard. The two quickly climbed down and remained in the shadows, watching the whole scene.

"I'm telling you." Claude said "I have no idea where she is."

"You were there when he attacked me." Ben said holding a gun "Now tell me where she is."

Pyrrha's mother walked up behind Ben and put a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll find her." She said "But we need to eliminate any and all loose ends."

Ethan went to move but Blake held him back.

"We can't do anything." Blake said "We have to wait for them to leave."

Ben held the gun and aimed it at Claude. He grabbed Ben's arm and activated his hidden blade. He slammed the blade into Ben's shoulder and he dropped the gun. Claude then kicked his hurt knee and punched Ben down onto the grass. Pyrrha's mother produced her own gun and shot Claude in the head. He fell onto the ground dead.

"Ethan." Blake whispered as she held him back "We need to leave."

They made their way back to the front wall and Ethan boosted Blake over the wall. Pyrrha's mom saw them and fired at them. Ethan crouched and hel the shield in front of him, blocking the bullet. He grabbed Pyrrha's spear and transformed it into the rifle. He fired at her and knocked the gun out of her hand. Putting the spear on his back, he jumped onto the wall and flipped her off before jumping down onto the other side.

"You alright?" Blake asked him as he landed next to her

"I'm fine." He said holding up the shield "Now let's get out of here."

The two ran down an alley and made their way back to their house. Nora saw them running through the kitchen window and told Blaire to open the door. She opened the door and they slid into the house, with Blaire closing the door as they were in.

"What happened?" Blaire asked them

"We kinda got spotted towards the end." Ethan panted "Claude was killed."

"What?" Pyrrha asked from the couch

"I hate to break it to you but your own other did it." Blake said standing up "Then she fired at Ethan as we were leaving."

"So now what do we do?" Velvet asked "I assume we can't stay here anymore."

"We split up and stay under the radar." Ethan said as he stood up

"Who will go with who?" Nora asked "We can do groups of two or three."

"We'll have to go with groups of two for now." Ethan said "We'll each leave Central from a different exit and make our way to the town of Li Shung Wei."

"What are the groups?" Pyrrha asked him

"Blaire and Nora will team up and leave via the North gate. Velvet and Pyrrha will leave from the Southern gate." Ethan said "Blake and I will team up and leave out the Western gate after you guys have escaped."

"Sounds good." Pyrrha told him "I'm just ready to get out of here."

"Rest up everyone." Ethan told them "We leave early tomorrow morning."

Blaire pulled Pyrrha aside as the others went up the stairs.

"You're not having any objections to not going with Ethan?" She asked her

"I trust him." Pyrrha smiled at her "Besides, I know Blake will look after him."

The two then headed upstairs to get some sleep, knowing the next few days they would have to be on their guard at all times.

Velvet and Pyrrha stood at the Southern Gate, waiting for a huge group to come by so they can escape unnoticed. Since the night of the dance, the town guards have been looking for any of the Night Raid members. Pyrrha had her spear and shield on her back as she leant up against the wall.

"How much longer do we have to wait?" Pyrrha asked annoyed "I just want to get out of here."

"Here comes a huge group, we'll enter at different times." Velvet said "Got it Pyrrha?"

She turned around and saw her gone, she looked down an alley and saw her kissing Ethan.

"Stay safe." He said running off

"Let's go Pyrrha." Velvet said grabbing her friend's hand and dragging her into the group

"I see them!" They heard a guard yell as he approached them "Stop right there!"

Velvet turned back to see Ethan holding his scythe at the guard. He swiped up and killed the guard. More guards ran at Ethan as he bought his friends time. Velvet and Pyrrha ran out the gate and into the forest surrounding the city.

Ethan spun the scythe and brought it down on a guard. He spun around and kicked a guard behind him. He saw the girls leave and threw a smoke bomb down. He ran back down the alley and hoped that Blake's plan was going well.

Blake sat on the rooftop and watched as Blaire and Nora made their way through the crowd. Nora looked around as she held Magnhild in her hand.

"Are you planning on using it?" Blaire asked her

"I can never be too certain if someone is trying to kill us." Nora told her

"That's why Blake is watching over us." Blaire told her "Let's just head to the gate and get out of here already."

The two of them walked out of the gate and continued their stroll down the road. Blake saw them leave and jumped down into the alley next to her. Ethan was leaning against the wall as she landed.

"They got out?" He asked her

"Yup, what about you?" She asked standing up from her knelt landing

"I made sure they got out. I had to take out a few guards in the process though." He told her

"What will I do with you Ethan?" She laughed "You ready to take on our main assignment?"

"I'm down. She should be in the market at this time, I can do it." He told her

"What's your plan then?" She asked as they walked out onto the street

"One quick motion is all I need." He said moving his arm in a swinging motion "It's simple."

"Just be careful, alright?" She asked him

"Anything for my older sister." He said smiling at her "You going to provide overwatch?"

"Yup," She nodded "I'll follow you along the rooftops."  
"Let's go get her." Ethan told her as they ran towards the market

Pyrrha's mom picked up an apple and bought it. She put it in her shopping bag and began to walk in the direction of her home, but froze when she felt something happen to her body. Ethan transformed his scythe back into its container and put it back on his lower back. He kept walking as she fell down to the ground and bleed to death.

He walked into the alley and saw Blake laying on the ground, bleeding. He ran over and saw the bullet wound in her stomach. He picked her up in his arms and ran towards the closest gate, knowing he had to get her out of town.

As he approached the gate he saw a multitude of guards approach him. He jumped into the air and kicked a guard's head, before landing back on the ground. He closed his eyes as he ran and before he knew it he was out of the gate. Looking back he saw assassins in hoods fighting the guards, one of them saw him and flashed him a thumbs up before returning to the fight.

"Remind me to thank the Brotherhood for teaming up with Night Raid." Ethan said as he ran to the closest town "She is so going to kill me when she wakes up."

Blake opened her eyes and felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She also felt someone laying next to her, he turned her head to see Ethan sound asleep next to her. She giggled and pushed him out of the bed.

"Oh shit!" He said hitting the ground "Glad to see you're awake."

He stood up and helped her sit up.

"What happened to me?" She asked him

"You were shot apparently. I found you bleeding in the alley." He told her as she looked around the room

"Ethan," She asked looking at him "where are we?"

"You're home Blake." He said standing up "It was the closest village that could safely treat you. So I brought you home."

Blake looked at her room and old memories came flooding back in.

"Are my parents here?" She asked him "I guess I should see them."

"Blake," He said "there is a second reason that I brought you here."

"What is it?" She asked quizzically

"I'm going after Adam with the others. Velvet is going to stay here with you." He told her "You have too many personal feelings involved in this. You and Adam go back to Junior High, when you were a part of the White Fang. I want you as far away from this as possible. You need to bond with your parents, your real family."

"But you are my family!" She protested "All of you are!"

"Just stay here, please." He told her

The door opened and Blake's mom walked in. She had her hair in a ponytail and a pair of jeans with a black blouse on. Her cat ears perked up upon seeing her daughter again.

"Mom…" Blake teared up as she moved closer to her daughter to hug her "I've missed you."

"We're glad you're home dear." Her mom said

"Sorry about crashing your party last night Kali." Ethan told her "I'll cover some of the cost if you want me too."

"It's alright Ethan." She said smiling at him "I'm just thankful you kept her safe from harm."

"Well…" He started

"I don't even want to hear it mister." Kali said pointing at him "You just nod in agreement."

"Alright, I guess I'll head out and go find the others." He said leaving the room

He walked down the hall and entered the living room. Her dad was watching a game of grifball, so Ethan decided to talk to him.

"Who's winning?" Ethan asked him

"The Knights." He responded "How is she doing?"

"She's awake. Kali is talking to her, you should to Ghira." Ethan said

He stroked his beard and stood up. His hair is the same colors as Blake's, but he looks as if he is ready to kill someone at all times. He left to go to Blake's room, and Ethan walked outside.

Ethan looked around at the small town of Aeredale, he noticed the market stalls that lined the streets as he walked towards the town square. Arriving, he was greeted by Nora tackling him to the ground.

"There you are!" She said as she sat up "We were wondering where you where."

"Are we all set?" Ethan asked her standing up "I want to get back on the road as soon as possible."

"Why can't I come Ethan?" Velvet asked "I really want to kick some ass."

"I need you here to protect Blake." Ethan told her "Besides, I'll make sure to take him alive so you can torture him a bit."

Velvets face lit up with joy as she jumped up and down in excitement.

"Thanks Ethan!" She said hugging him

"Uhh Velvet?" Ethan said "Pyrrha looks like she's ready to kill you."

Velvet jumped off Ethan and hid behind him.

"I'm sorry Pyrrha!" She said

"It's fine Velvet." Pyrrha laughed "Honestly, it is."

Velvet came out from behind Ethan as Blaire and Nora walked over to them.

"Well I guess I'll see you guys soon, hopefully." Velvet said as she started to leave

"Velvet," Ethan said as she stopped and turned to face them "we'll be back."

She smiled and walked to Blake's house, as Ethan and the others began their walk to the town of Li Shung Wei.

Velvet knocked on the door and Kali opened it.

"You must be Velvet." Kali greeted " Please come in and make yourself at home."

"Thank you." Velvet said as she entered the house "It's nice to meet Blake's parents."

"She mentioned you earlier today. Something about not judging her." Kali said

"Huh?" Velvet asked blushing

"Relax dear, I like you already." Kali smiled at her "I can see why Blake likes you so much."

"She told you?" Velvet slowly asked

"She's our daughter," Ghira said entering with Blake "we'll love her no matter what."

"Blake," Velvet said as she ran over and hugged her "I'm glad to see you're ok."

"Thanks for staying Velvet." Blake said hugging her back "Where are the others, I want to talk to them."

"Um,they left already." Velvet said "Ethan wanted to get them back on the road as soon as possible. But they all wrote you letters."

She produced multiple letters from her jacket and handed them to Blake.

"Thanks Velvet." Blake said accepting the letters

"You're father and I will go into the market to get food for dinner." Kali told them "I assume you two can behave yourselfs."

"Mom…" Blake sighed

"Oh relax dear, I was just having some fun." Kali said as she and Ghira left the house

Blake sat down on the couch and Velvet sat next to her. Blake rested her head on Velvet's shoulder and closed her eyes. Velvet held her hand in assurance that everything was going to be fine.

"Just admit that we are hopelessly lost." Blaire told him

"We are not lost Blaire!" Ethan told her

"We've walked in a complete circle!" She exclaimed "Just admit it!"

Ethan stopped and looked at the tree on his left.

"Oh shit," He said "we have been walking in a circle."

"Told you." Blaire said crossing her arms "Now let someone else read the map."

"What map?" He asked her "We lost the map."

"Are you kidding me!" Blaire exclaimed as she walked over to Ethan "What do you mean we've lost the map."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the map.

"You are no fun sometimes." Ethan said opening the map

"So you purposely did this?" Blaire asked in annoyance

"You bet your ass I did." Ethan said "Now that Blake and Velvet aren't here I need someone else to make fun of."

"Make fun of Nora! Or Pyrrha! Anyone but me!" She pouted

"Nora and Pyrrha would both kill me if I did." He laughed "Besides, we're almost at the town."

"I hate you sometimes." Blaire sighed as they continued their walk to the town

"But at the same time you can't live without me." He laughed

"Speaking of Nora and Pyrrha," Blaire mentioned "Where are they?"

Ethan stopped and turned around.

"Well," He said lowering the map "shit."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 49

Nora and Pyrrha woke up with their hands tied behind their back. They noticed they were in a clearing with trees surrounding it. A fire was in the middle and a group of bandits were around it.

"What do we do with them?" A grunt asked

"I vote we have our way then kill them." Another grunt said

"You won't be doing any of that." Adam said killing their leader "Because I'm taking them."

A bandit ran at Adam, he quickly drew his sword and swiped up. He cut the bandit in half before resheathing his sword.

"Who's next?" He asked taunting them

The bandits dropped their weapons and ran into the surrounding trees. Adam smiled and walked over to Blake and Nora.

"If I let you two free," He asked "do you promise to behave?"

They both nodded and Adam removed their bonds. They stood up and Pyrrha drew her spear and put the blade next to his neck.

"I thought you two promised to behave." He said

"Well we lied." Nora said picking up Magnhild "Can we break his legs?"

"I don't see why not." Pyrrha said

Nora swung the hammer and it connected with Adams leg. He fell down and Pyrrha kicked him in the side of the head.

"We have to find Ethan now." Pyrrha said as the two ran off

Ethan was sitting up against a tree listening to his surroundings. He heard footsteps approaching behind him. He stepped out and Pyrrha ran into him, causing the two to fall onto the ground.

"Pyrrha?" Ethan asked "Where were you guys?"

"We were captured by bandits. But Adam freed us then we broke his leg and knocked him out." Nora told him

"Sounds healthy." Ethan said as Pyrrha stood up

He pushed himself up off the ground and stood. Blaire came running up to them with her spear out.

"Blaire," Ethan asked "what's wrong?"

"We have White Fang soldiers moving towards us." She panted "We should really run."

"Blaire, get Nora and Pyrrha out of here. Get them to the town and wait for me." He said pulling out his scythe and transforming it "I can take care of the soldiers."

"I'll stay too." Nora said "You'd stand a better chance with me here too."

"Sounds like fun." Ethan said "Now get out of here, we'll meet up with you at the inn."

"Stay safe." Pyrrha said as she and Blaire ran towards the town

"Do you think we'll make it back alive?" Nora asked him

"Never hurts to think we will." He said as the first wave of soldiers emerged from the trees

Ethan swung his scythe and cut the first soldier in half. Nora brought her hammer down and killed another. A soldier rushed Ethan, however, this resulted in the soldier losing his arm. Ethan kicked the soldier into the air. Nora jumped and slammed the soldier down as Ethan killed two more with his scythe. The soldiers kept coming at them. Nora smacked one, then swung her hammer in a full circle and killed multiple of the soldiers surrounding her. Ethan cut one in half, then sliced the body clean off another. He twirled his scythe and ran through the group, cutting the soldiers down left and right. He jumped into the air and landed in the middle of a group of them. They all drew their weapons and went at him. Ethan cut the leg off one soldier, before raising his scythe to block an attack. He twirled the scythe and spun it in a circle, he managed to cut all the heads off the soldiers. He looked back over to see Nora struggling with the sheer number of soldiers that were surrounding her. She smacked a soldier into a tree and turned around to kick another soldier in the stomach. A soldier swung his sword at her, and sliced her back. She screamed in pain and noticed Ethan cut the soldier down behind her. Another soldier ran up behind her and stabbed her. She swung her hammer and smacked him into a tree. She pulled the sword out only to have two bullets replace it.

"Nora!" Ethan yelled as he caught her

More soldiers started to appear and Ethan threw a smoke bomb down. He used the smoke to escape as he carried Nora to safety. He felt a bullet pierce his leg and he looked back to see a White Fang soldier holding a smoking gun. Ethan kept running as they approached a river.

"Ethan," Nora said "put me down."

"No Nora." He said jumping over the river "We're going to get you to safety."

"Ethan…" Nora said quietly "trust me."

Ethan slowly stopped and laid Nora down. He knelt next to her and she looked over at him.

"Nora, stay in there." He said "You're going to be fine."

She moved her hand to hold his and she smiled.

"I know I will be Ethan. I have you and Ren here to protect me." She said

"Nora…" Ethan said

Nora saw Ren kneel next to her. Ethan looked over and saw him.

"Ren?" Ethan asked "What are you doing here?"

"I bound my spirit to Nora." He said "I couldn't leave her alone all this time."

"Ren…" Nora said moving her hand to hold Ren's "please don't leave."

"I'm never leaving your side again Nora." He said holding back tears

Nora smiled and closed her eyes. Her breathing stopped and her body went limp. Ethan punched the ground and screamed into the sky. Ren rested Nora's hand on her chest and turned to Ethan.

"Why did she have to die now." Ethan said "Of all the times she dies now. Right when we were on the right track to finding Adam's base."

"He doesn't have a base. He moves around and makes new bases wherever he goes." Ren said as he started to disappear

"Ren!" Ethan said reaching out for him

"I'll take care of her and the others Ethan." Ren smiled "Trust me."

He disappeared and Ethan was left alone with Nora's body. He picked up her body and continued his walk back to the town in silence.

Blaire looked out the window and saw the moon high in the sky. Pyrrha was asleep on the bed when Blaire decided to go for a walk. She opened the door and walked out of their room and into the inn. She walked out the door of the inn and onto the main street. Looking to her left she noticed a figure walking towards her. Blaire went to draw her knife when she saw the figure get closer. She realized who it was and ran over to them.

"Ethan!" She yelled as he collapsed onto his knees

She slid next to him and caught him as he began to fall over.

"Ethan…" Blaire said

Pyrrha woke up when she heard Blaire yell, she darted out of the room and out onto the street. She saw Blaire and ran over to her.

"Is he alright?" Pyrrha asked kneeling next to Ethan

"I don't know. He just fainted all of a sudden." Blaire told her "Let's get him into the room."

Pyrrha picked him up and carried him to their room. Blaire opened the door and Pyrrha placed Ethan on the bed.

"Now what do we do?" Pyrrha asked as Blaire closed the door

"We wait for him to wake up." Blaire said sitting in the chair at the desk "You may want to consider sleeping too."

She climbed into the bed with Ethan and put her arm over him. She kissed his forehead before falling asleep on his chest.

Pyrrha woke up and saw Blaire open the door, walking in with breakfast in her hands.

"Morning." Blaire smiled at her "Was wondering when you would wake up."

Pyrrha sat up and noticed Ethan still asleep.

"How long has he been sleeping for?" Pyrrha asked

"He woke up a few hours ago and told me what happened in the forest after we left." Blaire said "We lost Nora."

"No." Pyrrha said "Nora's dead now too?"

Ethan woke up and sat up, rubbing his head.

"Did you have to hit on the head?" He asked looking at Blaire

"You hit him?" Pyrrha asked

"It was the only way to get him to go back to sleep." Blaire said handing them plates with food on it "Now eat, both of you!"

Ethan began eating and soon handed her the empty plate back. Pyrrha finished shortly after too and did the same.

"Now Ethan," Blaire said "explain what happened."

"We were fighting the White Fang when they got the jump on Nora. She sustained heavy injuries and we escaped to safety. But she died shortly after." Ethan told them

"We keep losing people in this fight. At some point we might just need to give up our quest." Blaire said

"We aren't giving up anytime soon." Ethan said standing "We're taking the fight straight to Adam."

"But we've tried that and lost already." Blaire pointed out "What's your plan then? Take him on solo?"

"Yeah," Ethan told her "that was exactly my plan."

"What?!" Blaire exclaimed as he left the room "Did you know about this?"

"Not at all no." Pyrrha said "Let me talk to him."

She ran out the door and saw Ethan leaning up against the wall.

"I'm scared Pyrrha." He said turning to face her "I'm scared that if we don't end it soon one day I'll lose you."

"You'll never lose me Ethan." She said hugging him "I'll always have you to protect me above all else."

"But that's what I'm worried about." He said "I was there to protect Nora and she still died."

"I know you'll never make that mistake again." Pyrrha smiled at him

"What makes you think that?" He asked her

"Because I love you." She said kissing him "And I trust you."

"I want you and Blaire to go see Blake." Ethan said "I want to get some last minute information from here."

"We'll see you there." Blaire said as she grabbed Pyrrha's arm and pulled her away

They were walking through the forest when Blaire felt something hit her neck. She felt dizzy and fell onto the ground.

"Blaire!" Pyrrha exclaimed as she knelt next to her friend

"She's just unconscious." Adam said appearing from the shadows "But you are going to help me otherwise I'll kill everyone you hold dear."

She stood up and drew her spear and shield.

"I'm not here to fight you." Adam said laying his weapon down "I just wanted to talk."

"Then why threaten me earlier?" Pyrrha asked "And why knock out Blaire?"

"Well the threat still stands." Adam shrugged "But I wanted to ask you if you've heard from your mother in a while?"

"I ran away from home because of her." Pyrrha said "So I wouldn't talk to her would I?"

"Then maybe you'll want to hear what happened to her." Adam said tossing her a phone

Pyrrha caught it as she put her spear on her back. She pressed play and watched the video.

"This can't be true." Pyrrha said "Ethan would never do that."

"He's an assassin dear." Adam said "They do their jobs whether they like to or not."

Adam picked up his sword and held it at his side.

"Now here is where you help me." Adam smiled

Ethan was walking back through the forest when he saw Pyrrha kneeling next to Blaire. He ran over and Pyrrha stood up to face him.

"Is Blaire ok?" Ethan asked

"She'll be fine." Pyrrha said shakily as a blue aura surrounded her

She was using her semblance, polarity. She picked up her spear using her semblance and launched it at Ethan. He dodged it and drew his scythe, quickly transforming it. He blocked the spear as it came at him again. Pyrrha used her semblance to control his scythe too. He let go and jumped back, not noticing the spear behind him. He fell onto his knees and looked at the spear that protruded from his chest.

"Pyrrha…" He said weakly

"I'm sorry Ethan." She sobbed as Adam appeared next to her

"Time to die Ethan." Adam said as he stabbed Pyrrha "Along with her."

She fell down and extended her hand towards Ethan. He did the same but passed out as Adam pulled the spear out of him.

"Ethan…" Pyrrha said quietly as she closed her eyes

Blake and Velvet ran through the forest towards the town of Li Shung Wei. They heard the White Fang were in the area so they decided to go and see for themselves. They ran across a group of White Fang soldiers, and they were quickly disposed of by Blake. She sheathed her sword as the soldiers fell dead and the two kept running.

"Where are you Ethan?" Blake asked under her breath

They noticed bodies up ahead and ran even faster. Blake's fear was right as she noticed the scythe laying on the ground, along with Ethan's trademark jacket still on him.

"Ethan!" Blake yelled as she slid next to him

She pulled out a small green crystal and put it in his mouth. She did the same with Pyrrha and Velvet tended to Blaire.

"Are they going to be ok?" Velvet asked

"I just hope we weren't too late." Blake said quietly as she saw Pyrrha's body glow green "Let's get them back home."

An hour later, Pyrrha woke up in Blake's bed. Ethan was still asleep next to her as she sat up in the bed. Blake was sitting on a chair and went to Pyrrha's side when she stood up.

"How are you feeling?" Blake asked her

"I'm feeling terrible Blake. Adam made me turn on Ethan and it was the worst thing ever." Pyrrha sobbed into Blake's shoulder as she hugged her

"Everything's alright. Ethan will understand the situation. We've all been forced to do something we didn't want to do." Blake told her friend as she hugged her back "Plus you have friends who will stand by your side no matter what."

She heard Ethan mutter something under his breath before he stopped moving. Blake ran to his side and checked his heartbeat. She didn't hear anything.

"Blake?" Pyrrha asked as she looked at them "Is everything alright?"

"I can't hear his heartbeat." Blake said with her ear on his chest "It's not there."

Pyrrha covered her mouth with her hands as she started crying.

"It's all my fault." Pyrrha said as Blake walked over next to her "It's all my fault."

"No one is blaming you." Blake said "Let's give him some time to heal. I bet that's all he needs."

Pyrrha got out of the bed and walked with Blake out of the room.

"How's he doing?" Kali asked as she saw them leave

"I think he just needs time to rest up." Blake told her mom "Even though he does get stabbed and shot most of the time."

"Is this Pyrrha?" Kali asked Blake

"Oh yeah, forgot to introduce you two." Blake laughed "Pyrrha this is my mom."

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Belladonna." Pyrrha said "Thank you for housing us while we rest up."

"It's no problem dear." Kali smiled "Besides, your father seems to enjoy having another person to talk grifball with."

"I'm telling you!" Blaire exclaimed from the living room "Castle Crashers has twice the amount of purposely caused penalties than compared to the Rogues!"

"But the Rogues play dirty, so it would make sense for them to have more penalties against them." Ghira responded

"Then let's see the game tonight and see who is right!" Blaire told him

"It's a deal!" Ghira said

"Glad to see you two are getting along." Blake said as they entered the living room

Pyrrha sat on the couch next to Velvet, who looked at her.

"You alright?" Velvet asked quietly as the others talked

"No," Pyrrha responded "I'm afraid Ethan won't wake up."

"I know he will Pyrrha. He loves you." Velvet said "And uh, don't tell him I told you that last part. He'd kill me."

"He what?" Pyrrha asked her

"Well he told me one day that he would give anything to see you happy. I think he said he loves you." Velvet told her

"Thank you Velvet." Pyrrha told her

There was a knock on the door and Blake got up to answer it. Neptune and Rosaria walked in immediately after.

"Neptune!" Blaire said as she ran over and hugged him "I missed you!"

"Nice to see you too Blaire." He said "We came as soon as we got your message. Where is he?"

"He's in my room." Blake said "I'll show you."

Neptune followed Blake into her room and they walked over to Ethan. He was still asleep, but he was breathing.

"Last time I checked up on him I couldn't hear his heartbeat." Blake said "So this is an improvement."

"It might be due to his body healing without magic. And since you happened to put a magic crystal in his mouth, it's searching for the magic circuits to heal." Neptune told her "There is an exception though, seeing as how things usually roll with our team. You may have just given him new magic circuits."

Ethan's eyes shot open and he sat up instantly, clutching his chest where the spear went through him.

"Ethan!" Blake exclaimed as she grabbed him

"Blake? Neptune?" He asked covered in sweat "Where am I?"

"You're in my room Ethan." She told him "You took quite a beating so we brought you back here to rest."

"Thanks." He said trying to stand, but quickly fell back onto the bed

"How are you feeling buddy?" Neptune asked him

"I feel a surge of electricity flowing through me." Ethan said as his veins glowed green, then changed to red

"Looks like you got yourself some new magic circuits." Neptune laughed "Now heal up so we can get back out there into the fight."

Ethan had a red aura surround him and his body healed itself. He stood up as Pyrrha entered the room.

"Ethan…" She said quietly as she walked towards him

He looked at her and smiled, before walking over to her and kissing her. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she felt him pull her closer.

"Pyrrha, I love you." Ethan said as he broke the kiss

"I love you too Ethan." She said kissing him back

Blake and Neptune began to walk out the door when Neptune stopped and looked back at him.

"Just don't break Blake's bed ok bro?" Neptune said "I'm sure she and Velvet still need it."

He ran out the room as Ethan ran after him.

"Neptune!" Ethan yelled as he ran after his friend "Get your ass back here!"

Pyrrha smiled and knew that things were back to normal. For the most part that is.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 50

Ethan stood in Blake's backyard, his scythe in his hands. He closed his eyes and felt the scythe blueprint become downloaded into his brain. Shortly after, he transformed the scythe back into its container and put it on the ground. He materialized the scythe and held it, but it quickly shattered into dust.

"Damn it!" Ethan said

"How long are you going to be going at this?" Rosaria asked from the chair near the pool

Ethan looked over and saw her in a yellow bikini, with a pool hat on and a lemonade in her hand.

"How long have you been there?" Ethan asked her

She touched her arm and looked at it.

"About 45 minutes." She told him

Ethan sighed and materialized the scythe again. This time it shattered as it appeared in his hands.

"That's it!" He exclaimed "I officially give up."

Rosaria sighed and got out of her chair to walk over to him. She stood in front of him and stared at him.

"You are not giving up! The Ethan I know would never give up." She said stepping back

She swung her fist at him and Ares's staff appeared in his hands to block it. She swung her leg and the spear was replaced by Knights Fall.

"Holy shit." Ethan told her "It worked!"

"I knew you just needed a proper incentive." She smiled

"And attacking me was your plan?" Ethan asked her

"Yeah," She shrugged as she returned to her chair "Now let me relax damn it."

Ethan sighed and walked back inside the house, picking up his scythe on the way in. He closed the door and caught an apple flying towards his face.

"Really?" Ethan asked looking at Pyrrha "Are you trying to kill me?"

"No," She laughed "you just need to eat."

"Thanks." He said taking a bit of the apple "This is pretty good."

Blake walked by and snatched the apple out of his hand, before taking a giant bite out of it.

"Blake!" Ethan exclaimed "That was mine."

"Well now it's mine." Blake smiled "You know I always take your food."

"Blake…" She heard her mom say "give it back to Ethan."

"It's fine Kali." Ethan laughed "We used to do this all the time when we were kids."

He snatched the apple out of her hands and took a bite out of it.

"It's what helped build our relationship." He said with his mouth full

"Didn't your mother teach you not to speak with your mouth full?" Kali asked him

"Uh was she supposed to?" Blake asked taking the apple back and biting into it

"You know there are more apples right?" Pyrrha laughed "You two don't have to share it."

"But it's more fun this way." Ethan said taking it back and biting it "Helps build our relationship and trust."

Neptune opened the door to the house and walked in, bags of groceries in his arms.

"I got the groceries Mrs. B." He said "The only thing I couldn't find was the sauce. But I can always go out later and find it."

"It's fine Neptune." She said helping him put the groceries away "I appreciate the help."

"Anything to help out." He said looking around "Where's Rose?"

"She's outside near the pool." Ethan told him

Neptune walked outside and saw her on the pool chair. She stood up to greet him, but was instead tackled into the pool. Ethan and Blake died laughing as they saw the two of them engage in a water war.

"Looks like fun." Blake said "Maybe we should join them."

"Don't cats hate water?" Ethan asked

"Shut up." Blake said punching his arm

"Ow!" Ethan exclaimed as he rubbed his arm "You packing brass knuckles in that punch?"

Pyrrha giggled as the two engaged in one of their brother-sister fights.

"So where did Velvet and Blaire drag my husband off to?" Kali asked Pyrrha from the table in the kitchen

"I think they said something about a grifball tournament in one of the nearby towns." Pyrrha shrugged "We'll find out when they get back."

Blake ran into the kitchen and Ethan followed her in.

"What are you two doing?" Pyrrha asked them

"She has my wallet!" Ethan said

"I swear you two are children sometimes." Kali sighed

"More times than not we are." Ethan laughed "But we kick ass in combat."

"I want to see this then." Kali said "I know a spot that we can go in the forest that has a danger beast you can fight."

"Hell yeah!" Blake and Ethan both exclaimed

Kali led them through the forest and to a hole in the ground. Ethan looked over the edge and saw the danger beast. It was a giant bear, with spikes sticking out of its back. It appeared to have a skull for a mask and had giant claws coming out of its paws.

"You want us to fight that?" Ethan asked "That's easy."

"Then go do it." Kali said

Ethan and Blake jumped down into the hole and drew their weapons. Blake held Gambol Shroud in an offensive pose, while Ethan transformed his scythe and held the blade parallel to the ground.

"Take the lead sis." Ethan said

"Follow my lead." Blake said rushing the bear

The danger beast turned to face Blake as she and Ethan ran at it. Blake slid underneath it and stabbed it's stomach. The beast rose onto his hind legs and Ethan jumped into the air. He kicked the beast back and landed next to Blake. She jumped up and looked at the beast as it ran at them. Ethan jumped and landed on it's back as Blake dodged the beast. He twirled his scythe and slashed its back legs off. The beast fell onto its stomach and sent Blake's sword further into it's stomach. Ethan slashed the back of the bear open and grabbed Blake's sword. He tossed it to her as she jumped into the air. She caught it and brought it down on the beast's head, cutting it off.

"Was that it?" Blake asked him

"Not really, there's a whole cave of them we just pissed off." Ethan said pointing to the cave that contained 20 more of the beasts

The beasts ran at them, and the two rushed back. Blake slashed and cut the head off one, before she got smacked to the side by another. Ethan appeared in front of her as he cut the beast's paw off. He twirled the scythe in his hands and swiped up, cleanly cutting the beast in front of him in half. Blake stood up and jumped over Ethan, to kill the next beast. He spun the scythe around his head and brought it down on one of the beasts near him. He jumped into the air and brought the scythe down on another beast, sticking it right in the head. Blake jumped into the air and landed next to Ethan. He stepped back and readied his scythe to act like a springboard, Blake jumped back and pushed herself off the scythe towards the horde of danger beasts. She slashed her way as she flew threw the air, killing multiple and wounding many. Ethan ran through after her, finishing the beasts that were wounded or she missed. She landed on the other side and looked to see Ethan appear next to her, his scythe covered in blood.

He transformed the scythe back into it's container and stretched his arms. Blake sheathed her sword and the two looked back to see the rest of the beasts dead.

"That was fun." Ethan said as he jumped out of the hole and landing next to Kali

Blake landed next to him, and stretched her back.

"You two fought excellently." Kali told them "Now Ethan, Pyrrha was telling me about a duel you two still need to have?"

"Oh yeah." Ethan said scratching the back of his head "We do need to repeat that. This time I won't go easy on you."

"You should be going easy on your girlfriend mister." Kali said "If you beat her up too much she won't be able to have kids."

"Mom!" Blake exclaimed

"It's fine." Pyrrha said "Actually, I can't have kids."

Kali looked at her in shock.

"I'm so sorry for that remark Pyrrha." Kali said hugging her

"Well Ethan and I haven't actually discussed our future plans yet." Pyrrha told her "So it's all good."

"Give me a minute with him." Kali said as she grabbed Ethan's ear and pulled him towards a big tree

"Ow ow ow ow ow!" He exclaimed as she pulled him behind the tree "Why are you hurting my ear?"

"Why have you not put a ring on Pyrrha's finger yet?" Kali asked him "She is a smart and beautiful young girl."

"I know that." Ethan said handing her a ring box "I just haven't found the right time to do it yet."

"You sneaky boy." Kali giggled as she handed the box back to him "Blake and I will help you get the perfect set up."

"Oh god." Ethan said as she left him standing there

They got back home and noticed Rosaria and Neptune were gone. They were needed back home for a bit and would come back when they were done. Ethan flopped onto the couch and sighed. Pyrrha laid next to him on the couch and fell asleep on his chest.

"Does she do this often?" Kali asked him

"Usually yeah." Ethan said stroking Pyrrha's hair "It's nice to just relax too. She finds me comfier than a pillow."

Blake giggled and walked into the kitchen to see Velvet asleep on the table. Blake poked her and she woke up.

"Hi Blake." Velvet yawned "What time is it?"

"When did you guys get back?" Blake asked her

"About an hour ago. I was tired and hungry to I fell asleep in here I guess." Velvet said as she lifted her head up off the table

"We have a new plan." Blake told her "And we need all the help we can get."

"I'm so in!" She said standing up "So fill me on on the plan."

Ethan woke up with Pyrrha sprawled out on top of him. He looked into her eyes and she kissed him.

"Nice of you to wake up." She said

"Where are the others?" Ethan asked her

"Not here right now." She responded by drawing a circle on his chest "So we have the place to ourselves."

Ethan kissed her and flipped them over. She removed his jacket and kissed him deeper as she took her own jacket off.

"What the hell are you two doing?" Blaire exclaimed

"Blaire!" Ethan exclaimed as he fell off the couch "What the hell are you still doing here?"

"I was asleep in Blake's room." She said "But don't let me stop you two from continuing."

Pyrrha threw a pillow at Blaire and she dodged it.

"I'll leave then." Blaire said leaving the room

"What is with her and intruding on us." Ethan sighed as he looked back at Pyrrha

She tossed him her shirt and she tackled him onto the floor.

"Doesn't matter." She said kissing him "She's gone now."

"But I have a feeling that the others will be back soon." Ethan told her

She heard the door handle move and she grabbed his jacket to cover her chest. Blake and her mom walked in, and looked at the two.

"Seriously Ethan?" Kali asked holding back laughter "In our family room?"

"Well we didn't manage to get very far." He responded

"Doesn't matter." Blake said "Because you two have a date tonight!"

"We do?" They both asked in unison

"We managed to located a nice little clearing that'll be perfect for your arena fight. Then you two can do whatever else you want too after that." Kali told them "Now gear up!"

Pyrrha grabbed her jacket and her shirt before leaving for the guest room.

"She still has my jacket." Ethan said as Blake handed him a box "What's this?"

He opened the box and saw the spool of wires, along with the metal fingertips of Cross Tail.

"Where did you guys go to get this?" Ethan asked them

"I brought them with me when we left Beacon." Blake told him "Thought you would like to use it again."

He attached the spool to his lower back and put on the metal fingertips. The wires responded to him by snaking up his back and hooking into the finger tips. He flicked his wrists and the fingertips retracted onto the gloves. He smiled and stood up off the ground. He activated Cross Tail and threw his wires into the kitchen to grab an apple. They wrapped around the apple and pulled it towards him. He caught it and the wires went back into the spool. He bit into the apple and tossed it to Blake.

"It's show time." He said leaving for the guest room as Pyrrha exited in her original huntress outfit

He walked into the room and saw his jacket laying on the bed. He put it on and grabbed his hat. He put it on and grabbed his earbuds. Ethan walked out and they began the walk to the makeshift arena.

They arrived and Ethan walked over to one side of the clearing. Kali and Blake left after they arrived, leaving the two alone there.

"I'll go on your mark." Ethan said pressing play on his music and activating Cross Tail "So bring it."

Pyrrha held her spear in her hand and her shield in the other. She looked at Ethan and saw his composed look, just standing there looking at her. She dashed at him and attacked, he stepped to the side and activated the wire trap he had set. She felt her feet become tied together and she fell onto the ground. She cut the wires and went to kick Ethan, but he ducked and threw his wires at her. She used her shield to block them and heard him jump back. She stood up and readied her spear again. He smiled and she noticed the wires attached to her shield. Pulling on the wires, Ethan brought her shield over to him. He caught it and materialized Excalibur in his right hand. Pyrrha used her semblance to pull her shield back to her. She caught it in her left hand and quickly put it back on. Ethan planted his sword in the ground and threw his wires around the clearing, making traps to catch her off guard. When he was done, he deactivated Cross Tail and pulled his sword out of the ground. He twirled it in his hand and held it at his side. He rushed her and she barely had enough time to block his sword with her shield. He jumped into the air and she blocked his sword from above. He landed behind her and she moved her shield to block his attack. She attacked with her spear and cut his jacket pocket open. Neither of them noticed the ring box fall out. Ethan dematerialized Excalibur and turned around on her, swinging his fist. She blocked his arm with her shield and kicked him back. He landed on his feet and materialized Knights Fall. The sun bounced off of the silver hilt and into Pyrrha's eyes. Ethan rushed her and slid underneath her. He sprung up behind her and held the blade at her neck. She spun on him and smacked his side with her shield. He dematerialized the sword as he flew across the clearing.

"Ow." He said into the ground as he landed

Pyrrha laughed and then noticed the black box next to her foot.

"What's this?" She asked putting her weapons on her back and picking up the box

"Pyrrha wait!" Ethan said as she opened it

Her jaw dropped and she looked over at him.

"Will you marry me?" He asked, still lying on the ground

"You guys might want to wait." Adam said walking out into the clearing "I mean after all, Ethan might not be alive to see it."

"Pyrrha!" Ethan said as he stood up "Run!"

Adam ran at Ethan and he managed to materialize a weapon to block his attack. Adam kicked Ethan in the side and punched him. He staggered back and held Excalibur at his side, awaiting Adams next attack. Adam smiled as he too held his sword at his side. The two began to circle each other, until Ethan stopped in front of Pyrrha.

"Go tell the others." He said raising his sword "I can deal with Adam."

Pyrrha turned around and ran to the town to get help.

"Look's like it's just you and me." Adam said rushing Ethan

He blocked the attack and punched Adam. He staggered back before attacking Ethan again. He blocked and swept his leg out from under him. Ethan went to bring his sword down on Adam, but he rose his own to defend. Adam rolled to the left and jumped up onto his feet. Ethan and Adam rushed at each other. Ethan ducked as Adam attacked and shoved his sword into Adam's leg. Adam kicked Ethan and put his own sword inside Ethan's stomach. He pulled it out and slashed Ethan across the chest. Excalibur dematerialized, leaving Ethan without a weapon. He materialized his scythe, but it broke in his hands. Activating Cross Tail, Ethan threw his wires at Adam. He cut them down and slowly moved towards Ethan.

"Time to die Ethan." Adam said stabbing him "For real this time."

"Go...to...hell…" Ethan coughed as he collapsed onto Adam

He pulled his sword out and saw Blake's foot heading towards his face. She drew Gambol Shroud as Adam flew backwards and onto the ground. Blaire and the others appeared at Ethan's side. Neptune walked over and stood next to Blake's side, his trident in his hand.

"I got your back." Neptune told her

"I know you do." Blake said "Now let's kill this son of a bitch."

Adam stood up and saw the two staring at him.

"I see more have arrived to the party." He said

Blake raised her sword and fired the gun in it. It hit Adam in the chest and Neptune threw his trident at him. The trident impaled Adam in the stomach and sent him staggering back.

"Blaire." Blake told her

"Yes?" She asked appearing at her side

"Why not you finish him off with Ares's spear." Blake told her "I know it would mean a lot to you."

"Thanks Blake." Blaire said removing the spear from her back "It'll be my pleasure."

She held the spear and raised it to throw it.

"That's a nice little spear you got there missy." Adam taunted "What's it called?"

"GAE BOLG!" Blaire yelled as she threw the spear at him

The spear curved in mid-air and pierced Adam's heart. Blake walked over to him and pulled out Neptune's trident, then Blaire's spear. She tossed the weapons back to their original owners and knelt in front of Adam.

"Nice going there Blake." He said "I always knew you'd do it."

He fell onto the grass and died. Blake stood up and walked back over to the others. Ethan's head was on Pyrrha's lap as she moved her hand through his hair. Blake found his hat laying next to him.

"You're going to be ok." Pyrrha whispered to him "You're strong and the best man I've ever known. You'll come back to me."

His breathing slowed down and Pyrrha remained unchanged.

"I'll wait for you to come back." Pyrrha whispered "Just please come back soon."

Velvet hugged Blake, and Blake cried into Velvet's shoulder. Rosaria was being comforted by Neptune, while Blaire ran off into the forest to go look for something.

Ethan was in his bed, in the same condition as before. Pyrrha never left his side since the fight. Blake and Velvet sat in the kitchen with her mom and dad. Neptune and Rosaria we're watching TV on the couch, while Blaire was still missing.

"He'll pull through sweetie." Kali said

"He's a tough kid." Ghira mentioned "I know he'll snap out of it soon enough."

"But what if he doesn't?" Blake asked "Then what do we do?"

Velvet held Blake's hand as she said that.

"There is always hope." Neptune said from the couch "If we lose our hope, then we've lost whatever it is we're fighting for."

The door flung open and Blaire walked in with a red flower.

"I know how to wake him up! Rosaria I need your help!" Blaire told them

Rosaria got up from the couch and walked over to Blaire. She saw the flower and her eyes grew wide.

"Where did you find this?" She asked

"I saw it laying around in the forest. I knew it had healing capabilities, so I brought it here." Blaire told her "What do we do with it though?"

Rosaria held the flower and it glowed red, before transforming into a small crystal. She ran to the guest room and the others followed. She sat next to Ethan and opened his mouth. She put the crystal in his mouth and closed it. Soon, his body started to heal itself. His wounds closed up and his muscles relaxed.

"It worked!" Rosaria exclaimed "It worked! It's healing him!"

Pyrrha smiled as she saw his breathing pattern return to normal.

"Ethan?" Blake asked as she and Rosaria swapped spots "Are you there?"

"Why does my chest hurt so much?" He asked slowly opening his eyes

"You got the shit beaten out of you." Blaire told him

"That explains it." He said as Blake helped him sit up

He turned his head and saw Pyrrha smiling and crying. She hugged him and felt his arms wrap around her.

"I heard you." He whispered into her ear "You kept me going."

She kissed him and he kissed her back. He felt something on Pyrrha's finger rub up against his face.

"What's on your finger?" He asked her

She raised her hand and showed him the ring.

"I forgot about that." Ethan said "I guess I got to caught up in the heat of the battle."

"It's all fine now." She said kissing him "We can start our family now."

Ethan smiled and held Pyrrha closer to him.

Their fight was done. They had lost many friends and went through alot together. The huntsman and huntresses had a path to take, and they all took it. About a month after that day, Ethan and Pyrrha were married. Blake and Velvet were married a month after them, and they had adopted a baby. Rosaria and Neptune moved their house to the town of Li Shung Wei. The group of friends all ended up moving to that town, and continued their adventures through their kids.


End file.
